


Man of Steel: A Turning Point

by Babettefanfic51



Category: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, DC Cinematic Universe, DCU (Movies), Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Man of Steel (2013), Superman - All Media Types, Wonder Woman (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Angst, Canon Crossover, Clones, Drunkenness, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Father-Daughter Relationship, First Time, Gun Violence, Inspired By Tumblr, Jealousy, Kidnapping, Major Illness, Matter of Life and Death, Natural Disasters, Sexual Tension, Temporary Amnesia, What-If
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-30
Updated: 2014-08-14
Packaged: 2018-01-21 09:59:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 62,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1546700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Babettefanfic51/pseuds/Babettefanfic51
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In this partial-AU story, it's five years before Man of Steel. Clark has finished college and decides to stay in Snellville to help his Mom, but of course, he can't ignore these urges to help people. Lois finds out about this vigilante and goes looking for him!  The story continues years later in Metropolis after the attacks.  I hope you like it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Turning Point

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A fateful meeting takes place under very unique circumstances. Neither of them were expecting it.

[](http://s190.photobucket.com/user/babettew54/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2014-01/bf09f16c-bcb3-4c9b-9bfd-d951dcb5efe7_zpswfuheukn.jpg.html)

_A Turning Point_

_Wichita International Airport_ :

Lois Lane stepped off the plane in Wichita, Kansas of all places. Perry was insistent that she come to Smallville. She had to admit that she was definitely curious about this vigilante who apparently had some sort of super-human powers. Vigilantes come and go, but this one seemed perfectly happy to remain in some godforsaken town way off the beaten track.

Sighing, she decided to rent a car because Smallville was over one hundred miles away. After acquiring her car, she asked the clerk about the ominous signs of bad weather that seemed to be approaching.

It's not unusual for this time of year to have fog and high winds, especially in light of the high temperatures. Lois frowned at that reply and headed to her car.

Once checking her GPS on her phone, she installed the hands-free device and called Perry. The weather was still threatening then about halfway there; the fog rolled in. She slowed down, but the traffic was extremely high for this time of day. It was mid-afternoon, but she had no choice but to take it slow.

Then the visibility was non-existent. It happened so quickly; she wanted desperately to pull over to avoid an accident and other drivers felt the same way. There truly was no place for her pull over. Now she was terribly worried.

She heard tires screeching that came out of nowhere, she put on the brakes but it was too late. She slammed into the car ahead of her; another car slammed into her from behind. She was going to be crushed into dust.

She screamed. The airbag deployed and then she knew nothing else.

She awakened briefly in the arms of a stranger. He was moving really fast; her eyes fluttered open and she saw his profile, but then her eyes closed again.

Minutes or hours later, she awakened in a hospital and a nurse was standing over her.

"You're safe now, Ms. Lane," Lana said.

"Where am I?" Lois asked.

"You're in Smallville, and you're in a hospital," Lana replied.

"I see," she said and tried to touch her head. It was pounding.

"You have a mild concussion, and your ribs are bruised, but you'll be fine in a few days."

Lois was relieved. She closed her eyes for a moment, but when she opened them, he walked in. It was him, and he was wearing a paramedic's uniform.

"How is she, Lana?" Clark asked concerned about her.

Lana frowned. "She'll be fine." She watched him for a minute. "Clark, she's a reporter."

"I know that."

"Well, you should stay away from her."

"Ummm, hello; I can hear you," Lois said.

Lana grabbed his arm and pulled him away. "Clark, its obvious why she's here, and you'll be asking for trouble if you talk to her."

"Lana, I'm not an idiot. There's nothing she can say that will change my mind about staying in Smallville."

"I'm happy about that, but Clark, because if the world knew the things you can do, it's over, everything we planned; it's over."

Clark stiffened. What she meant was everything she planned. Taking premed courses were done to please her and at the time, staying in Smallville and becoming a doctor was his way of helping people. Being a paramedic was a way of paying off his student loans until he became a doctor. In the interim, he could use his powers in diagnosing accident victims and patients with extensive internal injuries.

He sighed to gain a bit of control of his emotions. "I realize that; so please don't worry. I have no intention of talking to her, at least not about that."

"Good, well, I have to get back to work."

He watched her leave then headed in to speak to Ms. Lane. He felt drawn to her for some inexplicable reason. He pulled the curtain aside and tried to smile. "Ms. Lane?"

"Is it Ok to talk to me now?"

He came inside, grinning a bit. "Yes, it's Ok."

"What was that all about?"

"She's a friend and …."

"Oh, I see. Was she jealous of a complete stranger?"

"Oh, no, it wasn't jealousy," Clark responded, but he wasn't so sure about that. He and Lana had gotten together briefly after he returned from school. Lana knew about his abilities and was always protecting him, but she wanted more from him, but he wasn't ready for that type of relationship. Friendship was all he could give her.

She watched him closely. "So what was it?"

"I truly don't know." He couldn't look at her.

He was lying, but she decided not to call him on it. "She called you Clark; is that your name?"

"Yes, that's my name. It's Clark, Clark Kent."

She held out her hand. "It's nice to meet you."

Heart pounding for no reason, he took her hand. Of course, sparks flew all over the place.

They both stared at their joined hands, unable to let go.

Clark was the first to pull his hand away. He was transfixed by her face. "Why are you here?"

"You know why," she responded as she stared at him.

"You know?" He was a bit stunned.

"Yes, I know." She watched him distance himself. "Please don't be afraid. I would never print anything you didn't want anyone to know."

"And why should I believe you?"

"Because it's true," she responded firmly. Lois was tired all of a sudden. "I'm sorry, but I can't seem to keep my eyes open."

"It's the medication. You rest, and we'll talk tomorrow."

"Clark?"

He came back to her bedside.

"It doesn't have to be this way. You don't have to hide. You can be yourself." Her eyes closed after those last words.

He watched her for a full minute, and then he was gone.

~o~o~

 _That evening at the farm_ :

Martha Kent was still in shock about her Son telling her that there was a reporter in town and that she knew about his abilities. They were eating dinner, and it was obvious Clark was distracted by this reporter.

"And you can trust her?" Martha asked.

"Yes, I think I can," Clark responded.

"I hope you're right, Son."

"Mom, she said some things about me, about hiding, and coming forward."

"Son, we've talked about this over and over. What your Father said was true. The world isn't ready for you."

"But when will they be ready? I feel like I'm wasting away, not using my full powers, my full potential." He paused as he stared at her. "I have to find out who I am, where I come from, and why I'm really here."

"Son, I don't know. What if you find them and … they take you away from me?" Martha was getting upset.

He took her hand. "That's not going to happen. I'm not going anywhere. Ok?"

She believed him and tried to smile. "Ok."

~o~o~

_Early the next morning:_

Before heading into work, Clark had a few minutes to talk to Ms. Lane. She had been moved to a semi-private room. He knocked and entered. She was sitting up eating breakfast.

She was barely getting it down. He smiled at her. "That bad huh?"

Lois tried not to stare at his smile, but it was useless. It was uttering enchanting. "Yeah, it's pretty bad."

He came closer. "You need to eat."

"I'm eating; I'm eating!" She held up the applesauce. "See?"

He shook his head at her. "Ms. Lane, I …"

"Please call me Lois."

"Alright, Lois, Ummm, what you said last night, I was thinking."

"What about?"

"About leaving Smallville, and one day finding out who I am, and why I'm here."

"It's a tough decision, but I think it's what you want and what you need."

"That's true. It is what I want, and I do need it."

"And when you're ready to talk about any of it, here's my card."

He actually laughed out loud. He took the card. "Thank you, Lois." He tucked it inside his shirt pocket.

"Well, I'll say goodbye now." He held out his hand.

Heart pounding for no reason, she shook his hand. "Goodbye, Clark and good luck."

"Goodbye, Lois."

Lana had heard the entire conversation. Utterly furious, she left the area, but she would have her say.

~o~o~

Lana followed him outside. "What the hell are you thinking?"

Clark was startled by her appearance. He was adding supplies to the truck. He was still distracted by Lois and what she had told him that he didn't even hear her approach.

"Lana, what are you talking about?"

"Lois Lane and why she came here. She wants you."

"Lana, how many times are we going to talk about this? I am not interested in having a relationship with anyone. That hasn't changed, and I'm sorry if that hurts you."

"So you're leaving, just like that?"

"Yes, I'm turning in my resignation tomorrow."

"Clark, please don't go. We need you here."

"I'm sorry, Lana, but I can't stay here. I need to do this. My Father … my Father said that no matter how long it would take, I have to find out who I am and why I'm here. I have to honor his memory."

"But you won't be happy anywhere else. This is your home. We … we love you."

Sighing, he came over to her and gave her tight hug. "I know, but I'm sorry." He kissed her forehead. "Goodbye, Lana."

He climbed inside the truck and then they received an emergency call, and he was on his way.

~o~o~

_Five years later, Metropolis, Lois' apartment:_

After the invasion and Clark had saved her life numerous times, Lois and Clark had some time alone. After Zod and what happened in the train station, it's now twenty-four hours later after that traumatic event, they were at her apartment. He was now in his street clothes. She made them some coffee.

Things were awkward between them. She wanted to talk about Zod, and he wanted to say how much he cared about her, but it was strange being together like this. He kept remembering her visit to Smallville all those years ago, and Lois also remembered her trip there to find him.

She handed him the coffee. "Is this as weird for you as it for me?"

"Oh, yeah, it's weird." He took a sip. "This is good."

"Well, coffee is about the only thing I can cook without actually burning it."

He chuckled. "Oh, Lois, don't ever change."

She sat down beside him. "Are you Ok?"

He answered her honestly. "I don't know."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"In a little while," he replied, not ready to talk about it. He put the coffee down and leaned back on the sofa and closed his eyes. "He just refused to stop. I had to do it."

"Of course you did."

He turned to her. "Do you truly believe that?"

"You know I do. I would never lie to you."

He took her hand. The sparks were still there. "Lois, I …" He couldn't finish.

She impulsively leaned into him, her head on his chest. "Don't think about Zod, Ok? Just … just think about you and me."

He pulled her closer. "Actually, that's all I can think about."

She felt exactly the same way. "Me too."

Pulling her closer, he raised her chin, looked into her eyes and then he kissed her slowly at first then over and over. Lois responded to him without hesitation.

He stopped after a minute. "I should go."

He wasn't ready and if she were honest, neither was she. "Alright, but I will see you at the office next week?"

"Lois, I don't know if I even got the job."

"You will."

"Well, I'm going to trust your instincts. I'll see you next week."

She walked him to the door. A few moments of awkward silence then he pulled her to him and kissed her quick. She kissed him back. He didn't truly want to leave. "Goodnight, Lois."

"Goodnight, Clark."

~o~o~

_A week later at the Planet:_

"Lombard, Lane, meet our new stringer … Clark Kent. Good luck, kid!" Perry introduced him to his staff.

Lois held out her hand. "Hi, Lois Lane; welcome to the Planet."

He shook her hand. Clark was a bit thrown by her words. "Happy to be here, Lois."

They smiled at each other. It was a bit awkward but really nice.

Because of the invasion and the tons of stories they were working on, they barely had time to talk, to reconnect, but a month later, Lois invited him out for dinner at one of her favorite Italian restaurants. Things weren't as awkward as the last time they had seen each other.

"This is so good," Clark whispered, devouring his lasagna.

"I told you!" Lois said and smiled at him. She pointed to the side of her mouth. "You have a bit a sauce."

"Oh, OK," he said and wiped it away.

"Someone was hungry." She had a question for him. "Do you eat a lot, I mean?"

"Actually, no; I don't really need to eat much, just every other day or so."

"Really, that's fascinating, and … Ummm, other things are normal, I mean, you know what I mean."

Clark almost choked on his lasagna. He smiled at her. "Yes, Lois, I'm normal, meaning I am humanoid."

Lois was relieved. "Sorry, but …"

"Don't worry about it. It's perfectly natural to think about those things." His heart pounded. "Lois, Ummm …" He hesitated.

Her heart pounded as well "What, what are you thinking?"

He decided to put it out there. He leaned over and spoke softly and whispered, "This past month has been difficult for me. Seeing you every day and not being able to approach you. I didn't know how you felt about me, and the truth is …I want you."

She swallowed. "Oh?"

"You can't be surprised."

"No, but should we do that, I mean … ?"

"You're afraid and I don't blame you for that."

"No, not truly afraid, Clark, but have you ever, you know, done it before?"

He bowed his head. "No, Lois, I haven't."

Lois was shocked as she stared at him. Then her look softened as she placed her hand on the table palm up. He took it. "Finish eating and then we'll go home."

"Home?"

"My place."

He smiled at her. They finished their meal and left the restaurant.

~o~o~

Once inside her place, the awkwardness came back but it was welcome this time. Clark came up behind her and removed her coat. He then moved her hair aside and kissed the side of her throat. "I want you so much."

Lois moaned low in the throat. "Let's just let it happen, and no matter how slow or how fast, we'll take our time later." He followed her into the bedroom.

"Umm, I like the sound of that." He turned her around and kissed her like he's wanted to do since he first saw her in the bullpen. He wanted to take his time, but she was so open to his kisses. His mouth wandered down her throat as they began removing each other's clothes. It was hard for both of them considering they couldn't stop kissing each other. They fell on the bed laughing. Then they both sobered. He slowly began his exploration of her beautiful body. She was so lovely to him, so soft and desirable.

He couldn't help but remember meeting her in Smallville and wondered about his attraction to her, wanting to talk to her, and now he knew why. She was everything he ever wanted in a woman. His mouth deepened the kiss while his hand cupped her cheek as he broke the kiss, tilted his head the other way and hungrily dove back in for more. Lois felt lost beneath him. She couldn't stop touching him. He was touching her in all the right places too.

"Oh, Clark," she breathed in his ear getting more and more excited by his kisses. This is what she'd been waiting for ... longing for, she admitted to herself. Clark moaned at her responses as her hand made its way to his erection. He kissed her hard then as passion burst to a sweet life between them. Her arms were around his neck, and she held him tightly to her feeling weak with desire. His hand roamed over her curves and then he touched her there, his fingers moving over her folds that were slick with desire for him.

"Clark!" She gasped when his finger slid smoothly inside her body. His mouth consumed her cries as he continued to caress her from within. Lois wove her fingers into his hair and clutched him to her, sobbing her need for him. He had to have her, as he pressed gently against her opening easing his way inside. He closed his eyes in pleasure as her liquid heat enveloped him.

He continued to kiss her and dipped his tongue inside her mouth, and she eagerly kissed him back moaning softly. Her hands began to explore his body caressing him and responding to him.

Lois felt the fire burn low in her belly, and it grew hotter as Clark pressed back into her then he repeated the motion over and over again, and she moaned loudly then, in pleasure.

Clark was with her every step of the way, as she clung to his shoulders as his rhythm increased, riding the crest of his passion.

"Clark!" She cried out as her climax burst upon her, washing over her in waves. He continued to kiss her drawing out the sweetness of their lovemaking for long moments. He slowly left her body, rolled to his back bringing her with him and held her close to his side. After a few minutes, he kissed her temple, holding her close.

"Clark; that was wonderful. I can't believe this was your first time."

"Well, I do know how to make love, but I was worried about hurting you. Are you OK? " He had to ask her.

"Yes, Clark. I'm fine."

He touched her cheek. "I don't want us to go back to the way things were in the bullpen. There must be some way we can be together, work together and not hide our feelings. I don't want to hide anymore."

"Oh, Clark." She pulled him close. "I feel the same way, but how do we make this work? You know what people will say. Everyone thinks I have a crush on Superman, and if we were to hook up, everyone will think you're my second choice, which isn't true at all."

"I truly don't care about that. We should be together no matter what." He could see she was mulling it over.

She touched his cheek. _We really do think alike. It's uncanny sometimes_. She kissed him then, letting him know how she really felt.

After a minute or two, he pulled away. "Well, what do you say? I'm willing to give it a shot if you are?" Clark hoped she would at least think about it.

"We will work this out, I promise."

Clark smiled at her acceptance of their relationship, happier than he's ever been!

He pulled her close and then he kissed her, loving her beyond reason. _But did she love me_? He was sure of her answer when hours later she was beside him whispering love words of being together, working together, and whatever happens, nothing would ever tear them apart.

_The end!?_

~o~o~

Song Inspiration: _Once Upon Another Time_ , Sara Bareilles.

A/N: Well, this one is definitely asking for more and it could happen. I've often wondered if they actually talked after the train station incident. It's another missing scene. I hope you enjoyed this AU-Clois story. Thanks for reading everyone. Reviews/kudos is love.


	2. Give Up the Fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the story continues, the city is still in turmoil, the citizens of Metropolis are skeptical about Superman being a hero, and later, a childhood friend shows up much to Lois' utter shock and confusion. Please read and review. Thanks!:D

_Chapter 2: Give Up the Fight  
_

_Daily Planet bullpen, a few days later:_

Lois and Clark had their heads together on a story that Perry had just assigned to them. They weren't officially partners yet, but Perry had an idea to try them out for a few weeks, and see how it goes. They were oblivious to Perry's plan, but they saw it as a chance to get closer.

Clark saw no reason for them to hide their feelings, but Lois was right. The rumors were rampant about Lois and Superman, so it was going to take a while for the rumors to die down.

They headed to a conference room for more privacy. They hoped to put together a strategy about reversing all the unpopular opinions about Superman. Perry was one of the few people who were actually on Superman's side, and so he gave them this assignment hoping they could come up with reasons why Superman should be trusted.

After an hour of strategy, Clark came out the conference room to check his phone messages. He turned the corner, and headed toward his desk. He was totally shocked to see his Mother and Lana Lang standing in the middle of the bullpen looking totally lost. At first, he felt awkward about seeing them at his place of employment. He quickly ducked behind a wall, took several deep breaths, but then decided he was acting silly.

"Mom?!" He came over to her and kissed her cheek then he turned to his old friend. "Lana, what are you doing here?"

"Hello, Son," Martha greeted him warmly.

"Clark; I just wanted to see how you were doing, I mean, how you were coping with everything," Lana responded, still unsure about coming.

"Let's go inside here for a minute." He directed them to another conference room. Lois, meanwhile, was waiting for him. "I'll be right back. Would you like some coffee?"

"Sure, we'd love some," Martha responded.

Once Clark had left, Lana stood up and went over to the window. "I shouldn't have come."

"No, Lana, he needs a friend. You saw what happened on television. The city is in shambles and Clark needs us here."

"He doesn't need me. Lois Lane is here; she works with him every day."

Martha understood. "Yes, she does and Clark did say that she was a friend, so …"

"I think it's more than that. I sensed it in Smallville the first time she came there, and it's probably even stronger now. It's all over the tabloids about them. Lois and Superman, well, if the rumors are true, she … cares about him."

Martha came over to her. "So do you."

"Martha, it's more than that and you know it."

"I know, but you know Clark isn't a teenager anymore. He's a man now, with a man's emotions."

Lana was a bit surprised. "Are you suggesting that I throw myself at him? I wouldn't do that."

"No, honey, no, that's not what I meant at all. Just make yourself available if he wants to talk about … everything; that's all."

Lana smiled. "I guess I can do that."

~o~o~

 _Meanwhile, back in another conference room_ :

Lois looked up from her notes when Clark walked in. He seemed nervous about something. "Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong, but my Mom and … Lana Lang just showed up out of the blue. I didn't know they were coming."

"Really; that is odd." Lois remembered both women. Mrs. Kent was sweet after getting over her initial shock about Lois being a reporter wanting to talk about her Son. She remembered Lana as a jealous harpy. "Well, where are they now?"

"I … Ummm … left them in a conference room."

"Clark, our meeting can wait. Go and have a nice visit."

He frowned. "Are you sure? It's the middle of the day and we have a job to do." He loved spending time with her. It was a rare occurrence for them, and Perry's assignment was what he had dreamed about; working together closely on the story, especially about Superman.

"Of course, I'm sure, go ahead."

He smiled at her, leaned down and kissed her cheek. "I'll see you after lunch."

"Sure; Bye Clark." Taking a shuddering breath, she gathered her notes and left the conference room. Once out in the hall, she watched from a distance as he, his Mom and Lana Lang left the bullpen.

Lois' mouth dropped open in shock. Lois didn't remember Lana looking like that. She guessed she was more interested in Clark than Ms. Lang, but seeing her again, she took stock of her rival, and she was a rival; there was no question about that. Ms. Lang was a stunning brunette, with long flowing locks and a figure most women would envy. Lois was no different.

"Trouble in paradise?" Cat Grant spoke from just behind her.

Lois was not in the mood. "Shut up, Cat." She walked away.

Cat chuckled at her retreating back.

~o~o~

 _At a quiet restaurant a few blocks away_ :

Lunch was almost over, and Martha was getting tired. "I'm sorry, but all of this travel and that huge lunch." She yawned for effect. "I'll be at the hotel." She stood up. "Thanks for lunch, Clark."

"Mom, what?" Clark began, and he also stood up.

"No, Son, just stay and talk with Lana for a while. You two need to catch up."

Lana shook her head at Martha's obvious attempt at matchmaking. After she had left, Lana felt very awkward. "I'm sorry about that. That wasn't my idea."

Clark sat back down. "What wasn't your idea?"

"Coming to Metropolis, but I really wanted to see you. After what happened with General Zod, the invasion, and …" She watched him squirm. "Are you alright?"

"I'm coping," he replied not looking at her.

"Coping, really?" She frowned. "Clark," she said and being bold, she took his hand. "I'm here for you. I'm still your friend, no matter what happened in the past."

He tried to smile. "That's good to know."

"Do you want to talk?"

He did need to talk, and Lana was always there for him, even though he had rejected her in the past. "I've never said this out loud."

She squeezed his hand. "Go on."

"Zod, I … I killed him," he whispered, finally admitting it.

Stunned, she removed her hand from his. "What did you just say?"

"Lana?" He sensed her disapproval.

Her hands were in her lap. She shook her head unbelieving. "But why; why did you do it?"

The restaurant was empty now. The lunch crowd had thinned out a lot, and no one was paying them any attention. "You saw the news stories. He was going to kill everyone. The world engines had to be stopped, and his followers were murdering lunatics. There was no other way," he whispered urgently, hoping she would understand.

"Clark, you can't pretend that this isn't going to change you. Killing is something you promised yourself you would never do. I can't believe you did it." He reached out to her, but she stood up. "I wish I'd never come." She left the restaurant without saying goodbye.

Clark was devastated. He supposed he had it coming. This was her way of getting back at him for rejecting her all those years ago, running away from Smallville, but he knew that wasn't true.

What she said was true; he was different from the innocent young man who had left Smallville behind to find himself. He did promise her that he would never hurt anyone, and being a doctor would have been a real and true profession for him. All of that was over now. He would never be a doctor, nor would they be together. He could forgive her for not understanding.

He slowly made his way back to the office. He was so zoned out that he missed an emergency across town, a fire, but he arrived just in the nick of time to save a few elderly residents at a retirement home.

Lois watched the news stories and was worried. That wasn't like him. She left the Planet and headed over to the fire, and he was still there apologizing to the Fire Chief.

The Chief saw no harm done. Everyone was safe, and that was all that mattered.

He thanked him and lifted up into the sky. He spotted Lois, and she had that look on her face; a look of upper trust and commitment.

Everyone caught their looks, and it wasn't going to help Clark and Lois' relationship at all. Sighing to himself, he turned and took off into the sky.

~o~o~

 _Minutes later, the Daily Planet rooftop_ :

After getting a text from Clark, Lois climbed the stairs, not knowing what was going on with him. He wasn't in the costume, but he was in a business suit and tie and his glasses of course.

He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he jumped when Lois touched his shoulder. "Wow, you sure were distracted about something."

"I'm sorry, Lois," he apologized.

Lois was confused. "Sorry about what?"

He shook his head. "Everything..."

She frowned. "Clark, let's sit down for a minute." She took his hand, and they sat down on one of the two-seater benches. "Talk to me."

"It was Lana."

"Oh, I see. Go on."

"I told her about what happened in the train station." He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, and she didn't appear upset, at least not at first.

"Do you think that was wise?" Lois asked truly concerned about him.

"I trust her."

"I hope so, Clark. It can't get out about that."

"She won't say anything. Lana and Pete Ross were my only friends especially after the bus accident."

"I'm happy to hear that, but as it is, my Father called me about General Zod."

"Why would he call you about him?"

"Well, he knows that you and I meaning Superman are close, so he called me."

He frowned. "When was this?"

"I was going to tell you about it today. He called last night, and the military know what happened. There were cameras in the station." She took his hand to keep him calm. "They don't blame you for it, Clark. They knew General Zod couldn't be stopped at least in the conventional way."

He felt relieved. "Well, that is a relief."

"Yes, it is, but you have to talk to Lana and explain that no one else can know about it."

"Of course, I'll talk to her." He was quiet, deep in thought about something.

"Clark, so are you going to tell me why she came to Metropolis?"

He grinned at her. "She just wanted to check up on me, to see how I was getting along after … you know."

She shook her head, not truly surprised. "And what did you tell her?"

He leaned back on the bench and being none too subtle, slipped his arm around her shoulder. "Do you mean, did I tell her about us?"

"Well, did you?"

"No, I didn't."

She removed his arm from her shoulder, stood up, and walked over to the ledge. "And why not?"

He also stood up and came over to her. "Lois, there wasn't time. She rejected me when I told her about Zod. She couldn't accept it."

Lois was stunned. _How could she do that to him?_ "Clark, I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too."

She came closer and touched his chest. "You have nothing to be sorry about. It's her loss."

There it was … the look of total faith in him. "How did I get so lucky?"

She put her arms around his shoulders. "I'm the lucky one," she whispered. She leaned up on her tiptoes and kissed him sweetly. He kissed her back, pulled her closer and then one kiss turned into a few more.

After a few minutes, Clark had to say a few words. "Lois, I … I have to say something about you and Superman."

She frowned. "What do you mean?"

"The looks you give him can't go on. We have to stop the rumors somehow, and the way you look at him; it isn't helping."

She chuckled at his referring to himself in the third-person. "Well, I can do better; I guess, but you just looked so forlorn, and I wanted to …"

He touched her cheek. "I know honey, I know, but …"

"Clark, you called me honey. That's so sweet."

"Alright, alright, let's get back to work, but I do need to call Lana."

"Do you want me to come with you?"

He chuckled. "No, Lois, that's not a good idea."

"Ok, you go and have your talk with your old girlfriend, and I'll try not to be jealous," she said only half-joking.

"She was never my girlfriend."

She rolled her eyes, knowing Lana wanted more. They headed back downstairs.

~o~o~

 _In the hotel lobby, later that day_ :

His Mom was still resting, so Lana came down to meet with him, but before he could say anything, Lana apologized. "Clark, I'm sorry for the way I acted about Zod. I guess I was in shock."

"Sit down, Lana," Clark instructed. "There's no need to apologize. I understand how you feel. I'm finding it hard to accept it myself. But you were right; I'm not the same person I was when I left Smallville. I had such dreams about finding out who I am, about using my abilities, and finally being out in the open."

"I know it's a dream come true for you, Clark, and I am happy for you."

"Do you mean that?" Clark was thoughtful.

"Of course I do. I would never hurt you intentionally."

"Lana, I hope you mean that because what I told you, you can't tell anyone else."

"I understand, but does your Mom know?"

He bowed his head. "Yes, she knows."

"That's good, Clark." Lana was relieved.

"There's something else you should know."

"What is it?"

"Ms. Lane and I; we're seeing each other."

Silence followed that statement. "I suspected it; how long?"

"For about a month."

"So you and she …?."

"I'm sorry, Lana."

"I can hear it in your voice." She paused for a moment. "You love her." It was a statement.

"Yeah, I do. I guess over these past few weeks; we became closer, and the invasion happened and it blossomed into something more powerful than anything I've ever felt." He had gotten a bit carried away. "I'm sorry."

"Please don't keep apologizing. I'm truly happy for you, Clark. If anyone deserves it, you do. I know how you grew up. I know about the bullying, about being afraid of revealing yourself, about being close to someone, but you look very happy."

"I am happy, Lana, very happy."

Her eyes watered but only for a moment. "Well, we'll probably be leaving in the morning. I'll say my goodbyes."

"Can't you stay for a few more days? I want to talk about Smallville, our friends, everything. I do miss it sometimes."

"Ok, I guess I can stay for a few more days."

"Great and tonight, I'll bring Lois over for dinner."

"Ok, if you think it's alright?" Lana was worried.

"It'll be fine, you'll see."

~o~o~

 _Later that evening, in the hotel restaurant_ :

Lana and Martha were already seated, when Lois and Clark walked in. "Clark, before we go in, are you sure about this?"

"Lois, come on now, it's my Mom and Lana; I told you she apologized."

"I know you did." She took a deep breath. "Alright, let's do this."

 _Oh, no, not now_. "I'm sorry, Lois, but I have to go," Clark apologized.

"But, you can't leave me alone with them," Lois said, but when she turned to him, he was gone.

 _Oh, boy!_ Lois took a deep breath and headed inside. She spotted them immediately. "Hi, I'm sorry, but Clark had to leave. He'll be back soon." She held out her hand. "It's good to see you again, Mrs. Kent, Ms. Lang." They shook hands.

"Ms. Lane, it is nice to see you too," Martha said. "Please sit down."

"Have you ordered yet?" Lois asked and picked up a menu.

"No, we wanted to wait for you and Clark," Lana replied.

After a few minutes of perusing the menu, Lana and Martha glanced at each other.

Lois caught their looks. "Is something wrong? Is there something you want to ask me?'

"Well, there's no easy way to say this, but …" Martha hesitated.

Lois frowned. "Go on; you can ask me anything."

"Why did you write that article about Clark? He trusted you Ms. Lane, and you betrayed him," Lana asked, stunning the young woman.

Shocked to hear this, Lois didn't know what to say.

_TBC!_

_~o~o~_

Song Inspiration: _I Can't Make You Love Me_ , Adele.

A/N: Oh, dear, Lois has a lot of explaining to do. I could definitely see them being upset about how things went down. I hope you enjoyed this second chapter. I may have a few more chapters to this story. Stay tuned! Thanks for reading everyone. Reviews/kudos is love.


	3. World of Fantasies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this next chapter, it's time for true confessions, and a bit of fun. I hope you enjoy it. Please read and review. Thank you!:D

_Chapter 3: World of Fantasies_

_The hotel restaurant, moments later_ :

"Well, Ms. Lane? You did write that article; didn't you?" Lana asked, convinced she had betrayed him.

Lois finally found her voice. She looked her rival in the eye. "Yes, I wrote it."

Martha and Lana glanced at each other again. "And I can tell by your voice, you don't regret it do you." Martha sensed that was true.

"No, I don't regret it," Lois replied firmly.

"I don't understand you. You say you care about him, but you put him out there and he wasn't ready, Ms. Lane. He wasn't ready," Lana also said firmly.

"Lana?!" That was Clark. He heard that last part about him not being ready. "What is going on here?" He whispered urgently. Their seating was in a four-seat booth, and not many people were there. Clark sat down beside Lois. Her head was down; her hands were in her lap, and she was stiff as a board. He covered her hands with his, and she seemed to relax a little. He stared at them for a minute when no one said a word. "Well, tell me."

"Clark, Ms. Lane doesn't regret writing that article about you. If that reporter hadn't come forward that he knew it was her, we probably wouldn't have found out it was her at all," Lana explained.

"Lana, all of that doesn't matter to me. Lois did the right thing. It was time."

"But Son, you trusted her and she betrayed that trust. How can you trust her now? How?"

"You don't understand Mom." He squeezed Lois' hands.

"Then explain it to me," Martha said.

"You see," he paused as he squeezed her hands again, "I love her," he said plainly and succinctly.

Lois slowly raised her eyes to his, and what she saw there mirrored her own feelings. She didn't even realize the truth until that very moment.

"What did you say?" Martha was shocked. Lana felt deflated.

"I said I love her, and I think she loves me too." He grinned at Lois, but he had to know. "Do you?"

Her eyes watered. "Oh, Clark, I … I do," Lois whispered.

"You do what?" He wiped a stray tear from her cheek.

She leaned into his hand. "I love you, Clark."

He leaned in and kissed her sweetly but only for a moment.

"Well!" Martha huffed.

Clark sighed. "Mom, look, I knew about the article when it came out. I knew who wrote it, and if she hadn't written it, I wouldn't have known what to do, where to turn. Lois' faith in me and my abilities enabled me to do the right thing, to come forward and defeat Zod." He turned to her, and she was beaming at him. "So thank you, Lois."

"You're welcome," Lois said firmly eyes still beaming at him.

"Clark, we're sorry, but we just wanted to …" Martha hesitated.

"Mom, I know you're looking out for me, and that's Ok, but there's nothing to worry about. Lois and I are building a life together here in Metropolis." He paused. "Now, you're welcome to stay, but no more ganging up on Lois because she doesn't deserve it. Alright?"

"Alright," Martha said.

He turned to Lana. "Lana?"

"Alright, Clark," she replied, then she lowered her eyes.

"Good, now I'm starved; let's order."

The rest of the night was a bit strained, but everyone relaxed after that rather awkward beginning to the evening. They talked safe topics, like the restoration of the city and Clark's job at the Planet. More questions came up when it was revealed that they were given an assignment together. Lana felt it was time for her to move on with her life. Subconsciously, she still had hopes of being with Clark, but that was over now.

Later after dessert, and after saying their good nights, Clark and Lois agreed to meet with them for breakfast the next morning before their flight back to Smallville.

~o~o~

 _Later that night_ :

After arriving at her apartment, Lois looked drained and exhausted. Clark was happy when no more emergencies arose because he did not want to leave her. He came over to her. "I'm so sorry, Lois. That was not how I wanted to tell you how I felt."

Lois was still upset. After slipping out of her shoes, she went into the kitchen to pour herself a stiff drink. She handed him a glass. She gulped down the white wine and closed her eyes. After taking a sip, he took her drink, set it down and pulled her into his warm embrace.

"Are you alright?" He asked holding her close.

"Clark?" She was barely holding it together. She pulled away. "What you said was true about why I wrote that article, but …" She hesitated.

"But what?"

"There's more to it." She hesitated again.

"How much more …?"

"That wasn't the only reason I wrote it. I was being selfish, Clark. I wanted desperately for you to know that you weren't alone and that I needed to see you again. And then when the invasion happened, and you revealed yourself, I knew you were truly special, and I had to see you again."

"Lois," he whispered and touched her cheek.

She leaned into his hand. "But then you saved my life over and over again, and when you kissed me … twice, I had these fantasies about being with you, kissing you, holding you, and ..." She closed her eyes remembering.

He stopped her with a kiss, and then picked her up, surprising her. Kissing him back, she murmured softly in his ear. "I love you, Clark."

He smiled. "The feeling's mutual." He walked into the bedroom. "Can I tell you a secret?" He set her down. "I've often wondered what it would be like to pretend that …"

"Pretend what?"

"Well, you may not know this, but I wanted to be a physician, maybe even a surgeon." He shook his head. "It was a dream of mine from long ago."

"Wow, a doctor? Truly?" Lois was impressed. He could be anything he wanted to be. She had no doubts about that at all.

He grinned. "Yeah, truly."

She chuckled then she got the hint. "Oh, I get it now. Do you have a stethoscope?"

"It's at my apartment," he replied, getting turned on.

Lois knew that look, and now she was into it. "Oh, doctor, my heart it's beating so fast." She unbuttoned her blouse slowly.

He cleared his throat. "I'll be right back."

Lois continued to unbutton her blouse, but when she reached for the last one, Clark was there in his shirt and tie, white lab coat and a stethoscope around his neck.

Liking what she saw, she looked him up and down. "Oh, my, I don't know doctor, but my heart; it's beating quite fast, like never before." She put her hand over her heart just above her bra.

"Let me take a look at that for you." He reached for her blouse. "May I?"

"Of course, doctor, but well, I don't know. Shouldn't a nurse be with us?"

He chuckled. "Maybe next time," he replied, which got a glare from her. "Or maybe not."

"No maybes about it buddy." They both grinned.

Still grinning, he removed her blouse, put his stethoscope in his ears and listened to her heart. "Yes, it is beating rather fast. You need to relax, Ms. Lane."

Lois took a deep breath. "What do you suggest? I can't seem to … catch my breath."

"Well, you should lie down; maybe that will help," he suggested with a look that sent her heart rate soaring.

"Alright, doctor," she replied and lay down.

He removed his clothes in record time! He stood over her in his boxers and the stethoscope, which looked kind of weird then he lay down beside her. He put it back in his ears and helped her remove the rest of her clothes. "Now, Ms. Lane," he began.

"Doctor, you can call me Lois now."

"That seems a bit forward, but if you insist." He smiled.

She smiled in return. "Yes, I insist."

"Very well," he said and continued with the examination. He listened with the stethoscope all over her body starting at her throat. Moving lower, he listened to all her pulse points on her body. Her heartbeat was roaring now. "You look in perfect health, Lois." He paused as he went even lower. "I see you … Ummm … have a scar here."

"Yes, doctor, it was touch and go there for a while, but …"

He touched it lightly as things became a bit serious. "It appears to be healing Ok. Are you in any pain?"

"Clark, I mean doctor…" She hesitated, unable to think clearly.

He raised his eyes to hers. "Yes, Lois?"

Instead of answering him, she pulled the stethoscope towards her and kissed him deeply. After a few minutes, he whispered, "Lois?"

"Uh, huh?" She was transfixed by the look on his face.

He touched her cheek, as his other hand came up to frame her face between his palms. Lois closed her eyes and sighed. He pulled her toward him and kissed her. She put her hands on his shoulders and wrapped her arms around his neck.

After a few minutes of tender kisses and caresses, Lois had an idea. "It's my turn now." She removed the stethoscope and pushed him back onto the mattress, and then she began to listen. She frowned. "Your heartbeat is a little slower than mine."

"Only a little," he said.

"Clark, I think it's fascinating that you can feel me, but you are invulnerable."

"I don't understand it either, but it's true, Lois. Your slightest touch, I can feel it." He smiled. "Go ahead; I know you're dying to."

Lois was a bit speechless. Their first time had been glorious, but to do this at her leisure was a dream come true for her.

He smiled at her. Lois sighed as he took her into his arms as they touched skin to skin, hip to thigh and finally, mouth to mouth, as passion burst to a sweet life between them. She ran her fingers through his thick black hair, down his powerful neck and arms. "You can feel this?" She whispered and touched him everywhere.

"Oh, yes. I feel it."

She continued on her journey of exploration ... his throat, his cheeks, his wide chest, his strong arms and then even lower. She touched him, and he nearly lost it. She raised her eyes to look at him.

"No more wishes Ok, this is real Clark, you and me right now. No more looking back at the past, no more feeling insecure about our feelings because I trust you. Do you trust me?"

"Yes, I trust you."

"Good, now, you feel that don't you?" She teased him again. Lois closed her eyes as she moved over his warm body. She pulled him close and snuggled close to him.

He smoothed her hair; she was so soft and warm. He kissed her deeply and smoothed her hair away from her face then he flipped her over onto her back. "My turn!"

His eyes were serious, way too serious. Then he had her wrists, his fingers were around them and he raised them over her head as he leaned over her. He came closer and closer and then his mouth moved over hers slowly, open, hot and very persuasive.

Lois could barely contain her excitement. "Clark?"

She felt his hard muscled body against her own; his sex was hard against her thigh. "Yes, Lois?"

He didn't give her a chance to answer, as he released her hands, and then they were everywhere at once. Her breasts were now inside his hands, cupping them as his thumbs grazed the hardened peaks of her nipples sending her into a frenzy of need. Her back arched and then his mouth and tongue worked their magic.

Heat blazed through her like lightning, her fingers winding into his hair hoping to ground the blazing heat before she flew into the sun.

Lois had always been confident in her life; her independence and ability to stay away from the frailties of the heart, but this man had broken through all of it. She had no defense against him, none at all.

He slowly lowered his mouth to hers once again, this time kissing her with an intensity that he'd withheld up until this moment. Lois felt desire course through her veins and marveled at the effect his kisses had on her.

There's no doubt in her mind that Clark is the best kisser in the world, but then they were both breathless. Clark's kisses became even more intense, and he wandered back down her throat to her breasts and took a nipple into his mouth swirling his tongue around and around pulling and sucking to his heart's content.

Lois arched her back feeling each pull of his lips clear to her center. "Oh Clark, that feels so good, don't stop," she begged.

Clark was thrilled with her response. He lifted his head to admire the picture she made. Her breasts were flushed and wet from his ministrations; her beautiful head was thrown back on the pillow, and her eyes were shut in anticipation of his next move.

"God, you're beautiful," he whispered, as his warm mouth continued down her body. She parted her thighs in invitation to him. Lois gasped when he touched her. Clark inhaled her scent, feeling his erection twitch in response.

Lois was going to scream if he didn't give it to her again. "Clark, please," she panted. She felt him settle between her legs. She grabbed his head between her palms and kissed him fisting her hands in his hair clutching him closer. She lifted her arms and legs around him pulling him closer.

Clark couldn't wait any longer. He could hardly hear over the blood pounding in his ears. His hand smoothly stroked down her flat belly feeling the heat and moisture on his fingers. Lois whimpered again. She was slick and ready for him.

Clark slowly entered her warm sheath holding still for a moment as her heat closed around his erection. She picked up his rhythm quickly and began to move. Soon they were riding that crest to the stars. He pushed harder and faster and then he could feel her muscles tense as she cried out her climax pulsing through her. He pulled her tighter against him and his climax crashed over him, as they both sighed with bliss. As he began to leave her body, Lois stopped him.

"Don't move … don't let go," she whispered pulling him closer. Lois was still worried his Mom and Lana and what they would say about her to turn him against her.

"Lois, I'm too heavy for you, just …" Clark said, but he liked it.

Lois stopped him with a kiss. Clark kissed her back. He found himself hardening again.

"Oh, yes," Lois said sensing him coming to life again.

"You asked for it," Clark teased and kissed her sweet mouth and the next thing he knew dawn was breaking and Lois was asleep curled up next to him exhausted.

Clark was worried. His Mom and Lana were significant to him. He needed them to accept Lois in his life because he wouldn't give her up. He couldn't.

A few minutes passed and Clark suddenly realized that Lois wasn't asleep, but her shoulders were shaking and that she was crying. "Honey, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

His endearment warmed her heart. "Oh, Clark, nothing is wrong. In fact, everything is wonderful. What you said about building a life together, I never thought about it. I knew I would be alone, and I had given up on meeting someone truly important, but …"

"Shh, honey, please don't cry." He kissed her temple and hugged her close. He hoped to make her feel better by talking about fate and their future together. "You know, Lois, you and I together like this; it was kind of inevitable. Being alone was what we were used to, but now, everything has changed."

She leaned up on her elbow and touched his cheek. "Yes, everything has changed."

He stroked her tears away then pulled her close to his side. "Get some sleep. We have a few hours yet."

Thinking about the future, they both knew that it wouldn't be easy, being together in private, working together in public, and hiding their feelings whenever Superman made an appearance. Lois would be there, and it was going to be difficult to keep those emotions in check.

Clark was always worried if someone knew Superman's true feelings for her, someone could hurt her to get back at him. It was a constant concern. He couldn't let that happen. She was part of him, and he was part of her. He pushed those disturbing thoughts aside and tried to get some rest.

TBC!

~o~o~

Song Inspiration: _So Emotional_ , Whitney Houston.

A/N: I loved writing this chapter. Clois playing doctor came from one of my amazing readers. Thank you! Well, their private lives are pretty much set, but Superman in Metropolis and the fact that everyone thinks that Lois has feelings for him, and that those feelings may be returned is a big issue. I've wanted to explore that more deeply, so stay tuned my lovely readers. Thanks for reading everyone. Reviews/kudos is love.


	4. Honeymoon in Metropolis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We have a bit of a left turn coming up. I thought it would be a fun idea to crossover into the '90s series. Lois and Clark will get better acquainted in a few episodes from Season 1 with one crucial difference: Lois knows the truth. In this part, Lois and Clark are given an assignment undercover as newlyweds. I'm sure my readers will remember it. Anyway, I couldn't help but wonder how different things would have been if only. Well, two years of the series would not have been written! I hope you enjoy it.

_Chapter 4: Honeymoon in Metropolis_

_A week later, the Daily Planet bullpen:_

Lois Lane's special weekend to herself had finally arrived, but she hadn't had a chance to tell Clark about it. She had booked the room several months ago. It was her quarterly retreat; a time for her to regroup, to work on her novel, and to have a relaxing weekend. Now, she didn't know what to do. Because of overbooking, her special weekend would now be in the honeymoon suite. How could she possibly tell Clark about that? It was the only room available.

Back at the Planet as she continued to work on a new story, she glanced at her co-worker, who was also busy. Thinking about their breakfast with Lana and Martha, the air was definitely not as tense as before. There were no more attempts to come between her and Clark and now that they were gone, Lois felt she could breathe again.

"Lane, Kent; get in here!" That was Perry, minutes after the staff meeting.

"Yeah, Chief!" Lois and Clark replied in unison, as they enter Perry's office, more in sync than ever.

Perry frowned, deep in thought. It appeared that his idea to put them together as a team seemed to be working. He had another job lined up for them and it could be a telling sign for a future partnership, if any. Of course, they still had no idea that they would be partners indefinitely, but in due time. "Take a seat."

They sat down, both curious about this meeting.

"So, your previous assignment seems to be doing the trick. We've gotten a lot of positive feedback about Superman. The public definitely liked your story about him visiting a Children's Hospital the other day. Whose idea was that anyway?"

"Oh, that was Clark's idea," Lois replied as she gave him a look. They smiled at each other.

Perry caught their looks. He frowned again. He sensed something but pushed it aside. "Well, I have one more assignment for you, but it could be dangerous."

Lois perked up, but Clark frowned. "How dangerous is it?" He asked.

"It's undercover at the Lexor Hotel," Perry replied.

Lois was stunned. "Not this weekend, Chief, you see, I have plans," she said, worried that she should have cancelled her room.

Clark frowned. "What kind of plans?" He asked.

She glanced at her notepad. "Well, I booked a room there for myself months ago."

"I see. Is this your personal retreat weekend?" Perry asked.

"Yes, it is and I didn't cancel the room."

Clark thought about it, and wondered what she would be doing at a 'retreat weekend' all by herself.

"This could work. What floor are you on?" Perry asked.

"It's the honeymoon suite," Lois replied and tried not to blush.

Clark grinned and Perry nodded, and thought it was perfect. "This will definitely work."

Lois glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and he was grinning at her. Lois relaxed and tried not to smile.

Perry stood up and walked around his desk, deep in thought, leaned against it then he handed each of them a file folder.

"Here are a few things you should know." He paused for a moment. "Since the invasion, the crime has skyrocketed in this city, but Superman is only one man, and the police are overwhelmed. He can rescue people in immediate danger, ships at sea, train derailments, falling airplanes, but I'm talking about the underworld, a crime syndicate. It's here in Metropolis and the only way to stop it is to catch them red-handed, or better yet get them to leave our city."

Clark sat up straighter and tried to focus on more important matters. Other things began to concern him. He couldn't protect Lois if emergencies arose during the assignment.

"I know this man, but the rest I'm not sure, although they do look familiar," Lois thoughtfully said.

"I thought you would," Perry said. He sat back down.

"Who are they?" Clark asked.

"This one is a politician and the rest if I'm not mistaken could be criminals," Lois replied. "Tell us about this assignment Chief? How long would we staying there?" She asked, feeling uncomfortable about it now, but she didn't know why.

"Only a few days," Perry replied. "Your instincts are correct, Lois. According to my sources, one of the men is an illegal arms dealer, a weapons expert and he's very rich. Congressman Ian Harrington may be on the take. He's the chairman of the House Defense Committee, and a critical vote coming up next week."

"I see, so you want us to watch his comings and goings?" Clark asked, finally getting it.

"Yes, there's an office building next door and my sources are confident that Harrington may be meeting with this guy this weekend."

Clark had doubts about this assignment. "Chief, I understand what you're trying to accomplish, but a Congressman meeting with alleged criminals doesn't necessarily mean he's also a crook."

"Clark is right, Chief; we may need a way to listen in, for example?" Lois asked and glanced at Clark again.

Perry perked up. "I know what Lois; is there any way you can get in touch with Superman and he can listen in for you?" He asked.

"Well, I don't know, Chief, but I guess I can try," Lois replied, feeling uncomfortable.

"It's just for a few hours," Perry said.

"I don't think we should count on him, Chief. He may be busy," Clark said not feeling right about this.

"Alright, but we may not have another chance to catch this guy." He sighed, not wanting to do this. "Ok, I guess I can get my hands on a listening device."

Lois looked at her notes. Clark raised his eyebrows. "Is that legal?" He asked.

"No, but; we won't talk about that," Perry replied and picked up his cellphone and dialed his source.

Lois and Clark glanced at each other. Clark's thoughts were about her safety.

Lois's thoughts were about honeymoons and; Oh, boy!

~o~o~

 _The Lexor Hotel, that night_ :

They entered the hotel with various pieces of luggage which contained a telescope, a few change of clothes, and of course the listening device. Everything was going smoothly until they rang for the elevator. The doors opened and Cat Grant exited with a very attractive man, who so happened to be one of the men in their files.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" Cat asked the stunned couple. Cat was in the dark; Perry had apparently kept it quiet.

Lois found her voice. "Good evening, Cat. Clark and I were ... Ummm." She glanced at him.

"We were curious about the comic book convention here at the hotel, and decided to come over and check it out," Clark said.

Cat didn't believe him, especially with the luggage. Her escort cleared his throat. "Oh, I'm sorry; this is Albert Jones, an old friend. This is Lois Lane and Clark Kent."

Lois and Clark both shook his hand. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Jones."

"Same here, Ms. Lane, Mr. Kent," Mr. Jones said politely.

"Well, Al and I are headed into dinner," Cat said.

"Enjoy your night," Clark said. They entered the elevator headed to their suite.

The bellman was still giving them looks. They were wearing wedding rings, but he had suspicions about them.

Lois pulled out a tissue from her purse and wiped her hand. She shuddered for effect.

"Where in the world did Cat meet him?" Clark asked naïve as ever.

"Let's just say that Cat is very … sociable," Lois replied, being kind.

Clark wasn't born yesterday, although he did give off that vibe. "I see."

The bellman kept looking at them, so when they arrived at the honeymoon suite, Clark picked Lois up, and carried her across the threshold. She didn't complain. She loved being carried by him.

After the bellman had left, Lois watched him for a minute. "Clark, how are we going to do this?"

"As long as we keep our minds on our work, we'll be fine," Clark replied, not looking at her.

Lois wasn't so sure about that. She looked him up and down. The man was entirely too attractive, glasses or not.

They walked around the lovely suite. It was large with living and dining areas, and the bedroom contained a king size bed that was round. It was beautifully decorated in colors of red and white, with flower arrangements, fruit basket, champagne and a few 'hotel gifts' for the happy couple.

"Don't even think about it," Clark said when Lois glanced at the bed all dreamy-eyed. "We're here for one reason and one reason only."

Lois could play that game. "If you insist, Doctor Kent." She grinned at his expression. "Did you bring the stethoscope?"

"No, I did not," Clark replied firmly. He wasn't surprised she would bring that up. He thought about it too, but he had to keep his mind on business. But inside, he wanted to throw her on that bed; this was not going to be easy. Shaking his head, he got busy and set up the surveillance equipment.

Lois frowned and helped him get set up. An hour later, Lois spoke up. "Aren't we going to talk about the elephant in the room?"

Clark took a deep breath. "Are you talking about that ridiculous bed?"

"No, not the bed, Clark; I'm talking about you and Lana?"

He frowned. "Lois, I told you; there was never anything between us." He stood up and went to stand by the window. The meeting rooms were visible, but they were dark. He glanced at his watch. It was early yet, nearly seven o'clock. Lois walked over to him and he was fidgeting and appeared nervous.

Lois watched him for a minute. "Clark, I can see you don't want to talk about her, but you can tell me; it's alright. I won't get upset." He was quiet. "Clark, she's lovely, and her jealousy when we met in Smallville, I didn't understand it at first, but …."

"We kissed a few times." He finally blurted out and looked out the window.

Lois tried not to be jealous, but she wanted to hit him. "I see, and …?"

"And what?"

"Just kisses?" She raised her eyebrows.

He turned to her. "Yes, it was just kisses, Lois, nothing more. We were in high school, but it just didn't feel right." His voice softened. "But when we kissed; I knew I had done the right thing by waiting for you." He grinned. "Every time that we were together, it just felt right and when I was saving you, it became more and more important to me that you live; that you survive. And then…" He hesitated.

Her heart was literally melting. "And then …?" She prompted.

He stared at her. "You were there in the train station."

She came closer and took his hand.

He squeezed her hand and closed his eyes for a moment. "You brought me back from the brink, Lois."

She didn't know what to say. "I didn't do anything."

"Oh, you did a lot. When I looked up and saw you there; the look on your face; it wasn't accusatory or judgmental. It was just you."

She pulled him into her arms.

"I needed that look so badly, and when you ran to me and …."

"It's alright." They stood that way for several long minutes.

Then Clark heard something. He turned back to the window. "It's them."

Lois turned on the listening device although they didn't really need it, but this way they could record them.

~o~o~

 _Across the way, in the meeting room_ :

Congressman Ian Harrington took the blood money from Thaddeus Rourke, a man intent upon the Government using his defense system instead of the one designed by Luthor Technologies.

Apparently, the money would delay the vote that was currently before Congress. Rourke's defense system was unstable and would cause a lot more damage to the surrounding area, while Luthor's system contained sensors and could be calibrated to defend itself and disable anything that got in its way.

"Are we clear about the vote next week? Luthor's plans must not go through," Rourke asked.

"We're clear; but," Harrington hesitated.

"What is it?" Rourke asked.

"Questions will be asked. The last vote has everyone suspicious about me."

"Well, if you're a smart man, you'll put that money in an off-shore account."

Harrington was a novice at this. "Off-shore?"

Rourke rolled his eyes. "We're done here." He turned to leave.

"Wait!" Harrington grabbed his arm.

"Hey!" His bodyguard, Albert Jones, pushed Harrington away. He landed on his behind.

Rourke and Jones left the room.

Harrington pulled together what little dignity he had, and left the meeting room.

~o~o~

 _Back in the honeymoon suite_ :

"He meant Lex Luthor, didn't he?" Clark asked even though he knew Lex Luthor.

Lois had Perry on the phone filling him in on Harrington. "Yes, Clark, he meant Lex Luthor. He's a billionaire and he owns half this city." Lois listened to Perry for a minute. "Yes, Chief; we'll see you in the morning." She hung up and watched Clark for a minute. "Do you know him?"

"No, but I have heard of him," Clark replied.

"Who hasn't? The man has a reputation with the ladies; he has more money than he can spend, and he's not unattractive." She watched him out of the corner of her eye, hoping to stir Clark's jealousy if he had any.

Clark narrowed his eyes. "You've met?"

"A few times; he rarely gives interviews, though he is rather charming if you're into someone who commands a room."

Clark stood up straighter and puffed out his chest. "I can command a room." He pushed his glasses up his nose.

"Of course you can, Smallville," Lois said and chuckled. She picked up the room service menu. "I'm hungry."

She was teasing him. "Smallville? That's my hometown. Why are you calling me that?"

"I think it suits you and I like it. Aren't you hungry? Oh, this sounds good. I would love some pasta, with a cream sauce." She licked her lips.

Clark narrowed his eyes again. _She's playing me, making me jealous and teasing me like that._

Lois leaned back on the sofa and crossed her legs. "Do you want something to eat?" She uncrossed her legs, her meaning clear. "Are you as hungry as I am?" Clark was quiet. "Well, Smallville, are you?" She whispered provocatively.

Clark swallowed then he loosened his tie. Lois stood up and unbuttoned her blouse as she went. He followed her into the bedroom, but just before he was about to pull his shirt from his pants, he heard something. "Wait here."

"Clark, what is it?!" Lois fastened her blouse and followed him.

Clark opened the door to his suite but didn't see anyone. He followed the sound of footsteps and saw a man on the elevator and it was Jones. He had a box in his pocket; he heard a ticking sound. It was a bomb. He came back inside and wondered about this assignment. "We have to leave or move to another room."

"But the hotel is full. There are no other rooms," Lois said.

"Maybe one will open up tomorrow night after the convention ends, but we can't stay here."

"Just tell me what you saw and why this mad rush to leave."

"I followed the sound of footsteps and saw Jones enter the elevator and he had a bomb. I think he wanted to put it inside our suite. They're on to us."

"But how?"

"I don't know. Maybe the bellman; he was suspicious of us. He may have recognized you as a reporter. You are famous." He grinned; teasing her just a little.

She grinned as well. "You're probably right." She looked around their room. "Let me call downstairs first and make sure they are no other rooms available." She made the call and to her surprise, there was a cancellation just that morning.

They packed up their things, took one last look at the honeymoon suite then moved to another room. It wasn't nearly as large, but it would serve its purpose, which meant falling into bed and making love. But before things could get too romantic, Lois wanted to talk about a few things. She leaned up on her elbow.

"Clark, I was jealous of Lana."

He smoothed her hair behind her ear. "I was jealous of Lex."

They both grinned. He pulled her close to his side.

"Clark, have you ever lived with anyone, even had a roommate?"

"No; not since college," he replied.

"Me neither, but I've often thought about living with someone special, you know, the forced intimacy."

"Sharing everything, including responsibilities." Clark continued.

"Never being alone," Lois said. That hit a nerve with both of them.

He rolled her to her back then smoothed and stroked her hair. "Never alone."

She stroked his hair away from his forehead. It was definitely getting longer. Her eyes watered. "No; never alone."

He touched her cheek softly then he kissed her deeply savoring their closeness. She kissed him back, moaning when his tongue swirled inside her mouth making her hungry for more of his sweet kisses.

It didn't take very long, but moments later, Clark was breathing fast, his chest moving against her breasts stimulating her, and his hard muscular body was tense with need. Lois wondered if he had been this way the entire evening, holding himself in check. It made her want him even more.

Clark thought that if he hadn't been there and the bomb. He shuddered and pulled her tighter against him. She moaned deeply. "Did I hurt you?"

"No, I'm alright; just kiss me," she whispered. He leaned over and kissed her deeply tasting her tongue so warm and sweet in his mouth.

He kissed her over and over again, loving her so much that he couldn't sometimes breathe. He began at her cheek, then her earlobe, with quick bites and licks. His tongue swirled around her ear and then down her throat.

Lois moaned and leaned to the side and to give him better access. Clark moaned loudly too. He made love to her slowly and with such thorough and precise movements that Lois was about to lose her mind with wanting him. It was beginning to feel like torture to her. She couldn't take anymore then she begged for it, "Clark, I need you."

Smiling with a devilish smile that melted her heart, he leaned up and covered her mouth entirely with his as his hands sought her beautiful body. And as their limbs entwined, their hearts came together as one.

Lois was ready and so was he; he entered her slowly at first and then he began to move in and out of her warm body knowing exactly how to please her. "Oh, yes," he murmured filling her to the hilt, withdrawing and then back into her again.

Lois was climbing toward that goal, kissing him and loving him, stroking his back of his neck, his shoulders, everywhere her hands could reach. They would not be still and then it happened. They both came at the same time, clutching each other close both breathing heavily and their bodies soaked with sweat and feel totally satisfied.

After their heartbeats had slowed to their normal rhythms, kisses were given freely over and over again. They wondered when they could do it again.

Clark slowly began to leave her body, but Lois was not having it, and so she raised his chin and kissed him, her tongue swirled inside his mouth and then she felt it. He came alive once again.

Her smile was blinding.

~o~o~

It was almost dawn when Clark left the bed to check on the equipment to see if anything had happened during the night and to his dismay, the meeting room had been cleaned out. Perry is not going to be happy about this.

Lois awakened shortly thereafter, put on a robe and the look on Clark's face did not bode well. He did not look happy. "What happened?"

"Look." He pointed to the window. "They're gone!"

"Oh no." Lois was also thinking of Perry.

Clark sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "We have to tell Perry the truth."

"Do you mean what happened last night?" She glanced at the bed.

"No, but what other explanation do we have? One of us should have stayed awake."

"You're right. We'll come up with something; just not that, Ok?"

Just then the phone rang. It was Perry. Lois answered her cellphone and put the call on speaker. "Morning, Perry. Isn't it a bit early to be calling?"

"Just turn on the television. Something happened last night," Perry instructed, sounding frustrated.

Clark picked up the remote, turned on the television, switched to the news channel, and there was Congressman Harrington speaking to a reporter about the vote that had to be delayed yet again, because of threatening calls and emails.

Perry spoke up. "So what happened last night? I thought I would have heard from you about this. The entire Committee must have felt it was too dangerous to do the vote."

"Wait a minute, Perry, so the vote and the test, have been cancelled because of a few calls and emails?" Lois asked, turning the conversation away from last night.

"Apparently so, but I cannot believe Harrington didn't meet with Rourke last night. I'm sure he's behind those threats," Perry thoughtfully said.

"Well, Chief, about last night," Clark began.

Lois gave him a stern look. "Chief, last night the meeting room was cleared out. That's all we know."

"When was this?" Perry asked, becoming suspicious.

"After midnight," Clark responded, hoping to end it there; no luck.

"Midnight, you say?" Perry couldn't believe it. "I didn't leave my office until 1:00 am last night; no one called me."

"Chief, nothing could be done. They were gone. Look, we need to check out of this hotel, come into the office and put together a story about Harrington. We have their conversations with Rourke; that should be enough, don't you think?" Lois didn't believe that.

"Well, no it won't. Those conversations were not legal. We have to come up with something else. I'll see you at the office. Bye, Lois; Bye, Clark." Perry hung up.

The both sighed with relief. A little while later, they checked out of the hotel, and headed to the office, but just before they entered the elevator, Clark had an emergency.

Lois kissed his cheek and then he was gone. Cat had just walked into the building and witnessed the kiss. Smiling, she whispered, "I knew it."

TBC!

~o~o~

Song Inspiration: _Run to You_ , Whitney Houston.

A/N: Well, Lois is always horny. What can I say!? *giggles* And Cat finding out was not a stretch, especially after she saw them at the hotel and after witnessing Lois' jealousy about Lana. Tell me what you think. I'm not sure if we'll get into Lex and his 'defense drones' but we'll see what happens next. Thanks for reading everyone. Reviews/kudos is love.


	5. No One But Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this next chapter, the Harrington case takes a surprising turn, Lois is in danger, and later, Lex Luthor has an intriguing question for Lois. I hope you enjoy it. Please read and review. Thank you!

_Chapter 5: No One But Me_

_Minutes later, in the bullpen:_

Cat Grant knew it was true; it all made sense to her. From the moment that Kent had arrived, it seemed to her that Lois and Clark had been inseparable. If you saw her, you saw him.

Once she arrived back at the bullpen, Lois and Clark were not at their desks. She spotted Perry, grabbed his arm and pulled him into his office.

"What in the world is going on Cat!?" Perry was not in the mood. The Harrington case had fallen apart and after speaking with his source this morning, there may just be a way to find out the truth about Thaddeus Rourke and about his true motives.

Once inside his office, she whispered, "I have a secret."

"Not now, Cat. I don't have time for gossip." Perry headed to his desk.

"Oh, it's not gossip. You should know that I saw Lois and Clark at the hotel last night with luggage, and just now Lois kissed Clark on the cheek in the elevator."

"Are you done?" Perry asked, sounding bored.

Cat frowned. "You sound as if you know."

He didn't answer her. "Get back to work, Cat, and no more gossip!" Perry was firm with her.

Cat shrugged her shoulders and left his office. Once she closed the door, Lois and Clark had arrived and were at their desks.

They both wondered what was going on.

~o~o~

Meanwhile, in his office, Perry was deep in thought. He had a dilemma. His plan to test the waters as a partnership had reaped results, but just not what he expected. He made a quick phone call then called in the best reporters on his staff.

"Lane, Kent; get in here!" Perry hollered from his office door.

"Yeah, Chief?" Lois asked. They glanced at each other then sat down.

Perry watched them for a minute. "Any more leads about the story?"

"No, Chief, nothing yet, but Clark and I will find out about Rourke, and why it was so important to end Luthor's tests."

"Yes, Rourke is the key to this story, not Harrington. I have a source in mind, and I think he may be able to help us."

"And who might that be?" Clark asked.

"Clark, we never ask about sources," Lois said reprimanding him.

Perry grinned. "His name is 'Sore Throat,' because he always seems to have a cold."

"I see, sorry, Chief," Clark said, head down.

"No problem, Kent." He paused for a moment and glanced at his watch. "We have ten minutes to get there." He pulled his car keys from his desk.

"You want us to go with you?" Clark asked surprised.

"Yep, let's go!" Perry said and grabbed his coat. He waited for them at the elevator. Moments later, they were gone.

"I wonder where they're going in such a hurry," Cat wondered aloud to anyone who would listen.

"It's probably about the stakeout last night," Jimmy told her.

"What stakeout?" Cat asked.

Jimmy filled her in. Now, Cat felt like the worst kind of person.

~o~o~

 _In an alley, not far from the Lexor Hotel_ :

Perry drove for a several minutes and entered an alley and pulled up to many huge dumpsters. After waiting for five minutes, a man peeped out from behind one, but he was sneezing and blowing his nose. It was springtime and Perry thought it was probably allergies.

Perry greeted him. "Throat."

"Chief."

"Any news?"

"The tests will go forward."

"Before the vote, but that makes no sense?" Lois asked.

"Who are you?" Throat asked.

"This is Lois Lane and Clark Kent, they're reporters."

He stared them down. "To answer your question, the vote happened last night. Shockwave has been approved, but there's a problem."

"What kind of a problem?" Lois asked.

"The test could be sabotaged meaning Shockwave will fail, and they may use Rourke's system instead."

"Luthor will not be happy, but that means that Harrington could be in danger," Clark said, voicing everyone's concern.

"Tell us everything you know about Rourke," Perry said.

"Rourke and Luthor have always butted heads over one thing or another. Then Rourke developed his own experimental defense system, but it does have its flaws. That office building where he and Harrington met is owned by Apocalypse Consulting, a subsidiary of Luthor Technologies, and it's also where Rourke built the system, pretty much under Luthor's nose." He sneezed and blew his nose.

"So how do we locate him?" Lois asked.

"He owns a warehouse just outside the city near the docks. He probably moved his base of operations there." He gave them the address. "Well, good luck!" He sneezed again then he was gone.

"I have a gut feeling about Rourke and what he may do to retaliate against Luthor and Harrington," Clark said.

"Meaning sabotage; I think you're right," Perry said. "I think it's time we contacted the authorities, Harrington's office, and the Defense Department."

~o~o~

Once they arrived back at the Planet, Lois did a bit of snooping about the test. While Clark was on the phone with Harrington's office and Perry was calling the police, Lois headed downtown to speak with her contacts at the Defense Department. Clark frowned then he watched her leave.

After contacting her Father on the phone, she headed to the warehouse. Lois instincts about these things were at play, and even though she technically hadn't lied to Clark, she realized that he might be upset if anything went wrong.

She picked the lock to the door and made her way inside and when she passed by an open door, but was brought up short by Harrington. He was tied to a chair and he appeared to have been beaten. She pulled out a camera. Lois gasped. She was then grabbed from behind.

It was Jones and he had a knife.

~o~o~

Meanwhile, Clark received a call from Lois' father looking for her. Now, Clark was worried. He asked everyone where Lois could have gone. Perry knew exactly where she went, and now so did Clark.

Clark headed to the elevator, but Perry stopped him with his next words. "Kent don't screw this up, not this time!"

"Right, Chief." Clark understood then he left the bullpen, streaked through the elevator and headed to the warehouse. Moments later, he peered through the walls, but they were lined in lead. He crashed through the main door and that's when he saw her. Rourke was holding her hostage along with Harrington.

"Let them go!" Superman was calm. He came closer.

He was holding a gun and standing to Lois's right. "I don't think so Superman." Lois and Clark glanced at each other but only for a moment. Rourke caught their looks. "She's important to you."

"Everyone is important to me. Just let them go!" Clark nearly shouted.

He cocked the gun. "It's too late, Superman. The drone will reach land in exactly two minutes. You can't save them both and stop the test. Even you with all of your enormous speeds, you can't stop it and save them as well." Rourke pulled the trigger. Clark catches the bullet before it blasted through Lois's skull.

Using his heat vision, the gun melted in his hand. Rourke tried to run, but Clark caught him and tied him up in seconds. He spotted Jones and he was also caught.

He then untied Lois and Harrington, then he spoke up. "Superman, Rourke's test is far too dangerous. He sabotaged Luthor's drone, and it was not designed to be used this way, and if it detonates, there could be a tsunami."

"Superman, you have to hurry!" Lois shouted to him.

Clark streaked out the window.

"Ms. Lane, please, we have to get out of here. If the tidal wave hits land, we're done." They helped Harrington and Jones and ran out the building, but it was too late. The drone hit the ocean and spiraled down to the Earth's core creating a tidal wave. Superman had seconds to stop it before it reached the shore.

Still running, it sounded like a freight train coming towards her. Lois screamed then she felt compelled to look back and what she saw would haunt her dreams for days. A giant wave was just behind her. It was useless to run.

Moments later, Superman used his tremendous speed, twirled and spun through the giant wave to reverse its pursuit. The wave slowed down and only a small amount of water hit the shore causing minimal damage.

Lois breathed a huge sigh of relief.

~o~o~

 _Later that evening in the bullpen_ :

Perry held up the headline for all to see: 'SURF'S UP: SUPERMAN BUILDS UNDERSEA TRENCH' by Lois Lane. Below the fold was a drawing of a huge wave, and if you look closer you could see a red and blue blur swirling inside. Based on Lois's eyewitness account, the art department did a fine job.

"Good job, guys!" Perry said to this new reporting team, even though they didn't know it yet.

"Thanks, Chief," Lois and Clark said at the same time. They smiled at each other.

Jimmy and Cat chuckled at how in tune they were. "Where are Rourke and Jones?" She wanted to know.

"In jail of course," Lois replied. "Sorry, Cat."

She shrugged. "Well, I knew it was too good to last. He was fun."

"And you had no clue he worked for an illegal arms dealer?" Clark asked.

"Let's just say, we didn't talk about work," Cat replied and grinned. "Oh, did you hear the latest news about Harrington? Apparently, he says that it was all a setup, a sting operation that he concocted when Rourke contacted him weeks ago."

Everyone shook their heads, amazed at the news.

Just then Lex Luthor walked in, unannounced and walked over to Perry.

"Mr. Luthor, what a surprise," Perry said. He shook his hand.

"Good evening, Perry." He turned to Clark. "Mr. Kent, Cat, and." He hesitated when he turned to Jimmy.

Clark couldn't help but notice that he did, in fact, command a room. He stood up a little straighter. Clark looked him over. He was tall, well dressed in a suit and tie. His hair was dark brown, smoothed back and curled slightly at the ends. He appeared to be slightly older than himself, but not by much.

Lex finally turned to Lois. "Hello, Lois; it's nice to see you again," he said and walked over to her.

"Hello, Lex. Why are you here?"

"Well, I wanted to congratulate you on your story. It's unfortunate that the test failed, but the Defense Department gave me the contract anyway, so I wanted to thank you for your diligence."

"It was nothing. It was Superman who saved the day."

"That's true, but if not for your legwork, well, I don't want to think what could have happened."

Perry thought this was as good a time as any. "Everyone, I have an announcement. Lois and Clark did a fine job on this assignment. I admit that it started out a bit rocky, but they came together just as I knew they would. So from now on, they're partners."

Lois and Clark glanced at each other. "Partners?" They both asked at the same time.

Jimmy and Cat smiled at the news. "Congratulations!" Cat said and so did Jimmy.

Everyone seemed pleased except Lex. He glanced between them and they were staring at each other; they spoke to each other without words. There was definitely something there.

"Congratulations!" Lex said. His sentiment did not reach his eyes. He shook Clark's hand then turned to Lois. "May I speak to you privately for a moment?"

"Of course," Lois said and followed him. They walked over to the elevators. Lex couldn't help but notice that Kent was staring at them as if he wanted to pull them apart if he could.

"You seemed a bit surprised by Perry's announcement," Lex said.

"Only a little; Clark and I haven't known each other very long," Lois admitted, keeping up appearances.

"Well, being partners will probably change that."

"Probably," Lois thoughtfully said, distracted. Clark was probably listening to them.

"Lois, I wanted to ask you a question."

"Sure, what is it?"

"How would you feel about leaving the Planet and coming to work at my station? Your salary would triple, and I just know the camera would love you," he asked and smiled.

Lois was shocked. "Leave the Planet?"

"I know this is out of the blue, but I've been thinking about it for some time now." He paused as he stared at her. "I can see you're a bit thrown by my question, so I'll say goodnight."

Lois shook her head, distracted. "Goodnight, Lex."

Once Lex had left, she hesitated knowing what Clark must be thinking. She turned back to the bullpen, but he wasn't there. She rushed over to them.

"Where's Clark?" Lois asked.

"He said he needed some fresh air. He may be on the roof. He headed that way," Cat replied.

"Thanks, Cat."

Cat was thoughtful as she watched her leave. _They'll deny it, but I know the truth_.

Lois rushed back to the elevator and headed to the rooftop. Clark was indeed there. She came closer. He was looking up at the night sky, hands in his pockets. "Are you leaving me?"

The pain in his voice brought tears to her eyes. "You can't get rid of me that easily."

Relieved beyond measure, he turned to her. "Do you mean?"

"Yes, Clark, I'm not leaving you or the Planet."

He pulled her to him and kissed her over and over. After a minute, he clutched her to him tightly, just a bit too tight, but she didn't mind.

Lois pulled away and touched his cheek. "You were really worried?"

He bowed his head. "Yeah, I was."

"Oh, Clark, you're my home now. I love you."

"I love you too."

Smiling, she went back into his arms. They turned toward the sky and stood that way for several long minutes.

But Clark had to know. "You weren't tempted at all, I mean, triple your salary?"

"Clark, I love my job and now."

He pulled her closer. "And now?"

"Let's just say that I won't need the 'honeymoon suite.' I mean." She tried not to blush again.

"I know what you meant," he said and smiled.

"Clark, you haven't said anything about my going to the warehouse alone."

"Oh, do you mean, was I upset?"

"Were you?"

"No, not upset, just worried."

Lois was relieved. "You know Clark, that's just how I do my job; whatever it takes."

"I know your motto and I agree with you. The truth has to come out, no matter what, but."

"But."

"We're a team now and it's important that we know each other's whereabouts; that's all I'm saying."

Lois got the hint. "I agree."

"Good." Clark was relieved. They kissed with a new understanding about their lives together and how unpredictable it could be meaning things could change in an instant.

~o~o~

 _Meanwhile, downtown in county lock-up_ :

Rourke and Jones were in separate jail cells, but they were right next to each other. Rourke was pacing back and forth back and forth.

"What are you thinking?" Jones asked as he came over to him.

"Superman has a crush on Ms. Lane," he whispered.

"You think so?"

"Yeah, I know so." Payback would be his if he found the right person to tell. Luthor came to mind, but he dismissed that idea for now.

Jones was not happy with his line of reasoning. Whatever he was planning, it won't bode well for anyone. He felt bad about using Cat, Ms. Lane or Mr. Kent. He didn't know the reporters, but they were just doing their job, the same as him. He didn't have a clue about Rourke until it was too late. The money meant everything to this family, but now it was gone and he was in jail. Maybe there was a way to warn them, stop Rourke and in return, testify against him. He could turn his life around. He wanted that more than anything.

"Are you listening to me?" Rourke asked.

"Sure boss."

"My lawyer assured me that we could be released on bail tomorrow."

Jones wasn't listening.

~o~o~

 _The next day, not far from the Planet building_ :

Lois and Clark had just gotten their coffee to go and stepped outside. The sky blackened but only for a moment.

"Was that an eclipse?" Clark asked.

"No, we would have heard about it before hand," Lois replied. She got an idea then pulled out her phone.

While Lois called the Planet, Clark waited for her to finish her call. Someone tapped his shoulder. It was a gentleman in uniform. "May I speak with you for a moment in private?"

Clark frowned. "Of course."

"Is there any way you could reach Superman? I know the Planet seems to have an inside track on stories about him."

"Why do you need to reach him?"

"That wasn't an eclipse."

"What was it?"

The gentleman glanced around, then he whispered, "It was a meteor and only Superman can stop it."

Lois overheard them, then she gasped and looked up at the sky. "Oh, God."

TBC!

~o~o~

Song Inspiration: _Could I Have This Kiss Forever_ , Enrique Iglesias ft. Whitney Houston.

A/N: Ok guys, I'm having a blast writing this, even with all the sharp left turns in the plot. The next chapter will open their eyes to the kind of life they're 'building' in Metropolis. This is it for them. Now, for that last scene, there may be a left turn or two. Tell me what you think. Thanks for reading everyone. Reviews/kudos is love.


	6. Wherever You Are

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this next chapter, which is the largest so far, Lois has an unexpected, but no less welcome visitor, Clark's attempt to stop the asteroid leads to worrisome consequences, and later, time is running out for humankind. Please read. Thank you!:D

_Chapter 6: Wherever You Are_

_A military installation, a little while later:_

Clark wanted Lois to go with him for this meeting with the military. He took the officer's card and assured him that he would contact Superman. After heading into an alley and changing, they headed to the military compound, located just outside the city. It reminded them both of the facility that they had been brought to during the invasion.

After passing through secure checkpoints, they were led inside a huge room with numerous monitors, tracking equipment and an enormous telescope. Apparently, it was a replica of the Hubble Space Telescope or HST that had the ability to see far into distant space.

Then they were introduced to Dr. Bernard Klein, a brilliant scientist responsible for monitoring the asteroid's approach. According to Dr. Klein, the meteor was, in fact, an asteroid which came into view over a week ago, traveling at speeds of thousands of miles per hour and at its present course, would hit the Earth in approximately three days.

"Three days?" Lois exclaimed, shocked to hear this.

Dr. Klein nodded but didn't reply.

"And the public has not been notified." Clark stated the obvious. If the media didn't know, the public didn't either.

"There truly was no point. We had hoped it would change course or disintegrate once it reached Earth's atmosphere, but it hasn't," Dr. Klein sadly explained.

Clark moved closer to the massive telescope. "May I?"

Dr. Klein had never seen Superman up close; he was definitely impressive. He would give anything to pick his brain as it were. He pulled his thoughts together. "Yes, of course." He went on to explain a few aspects of the telescope."The HST can examine individual stars in various stages of their evolution – from the clouds of dust that form infant stars to the corpses of those long since detonated, and those in between. It also has the ability to peer outside of our galaxy, the Milky Way, and into its neighbor, the Andromeda Galaxy."

Clark nodded, definitely impressed by what he could see. His telescope at home was nothing like this. He was truly amazed by this new technology. He was also stunned at how fast the asteroid was moving. "Are you sure it's three days before it arrives?"

"Yes, we're sure," Dr. Klein sadly replied.

"I see." Lois and Clark glanced at each other.

"Superman, let me assure you that everything that can be done has been done to stop the asteroid. We even tried to send a defense drone into it; the same drone that was sabotaged the other day."

"And it didn't work," Clark stated the obvious.

"No, it didn't," Dr. Klein replied.

Clark thought about it for a moment. "Alright, I'll do it. But I need to know exactly where the asteroid is most vulnerable, meaning its weakest point."

"We can do that. Also, we have communication devices and air canisters to help you breathe in space, just in case."

"Thank you, Dr. Klein. I have some things to attend to and then I'll be back in a few hours," Clark told him.

"Thank you, Superman." Dr. Klein and several other military men shook his hand.

Lois was numb during this entire meeting. She tried to pull in all of her inner strengths, but it seemed to be eluding her.

Clark sensed what she was feeling. He took her hand and left the compound.

~o~o~

_A Daily Planet conference room, minutes later:_

Lois and Clark had a few minutes to talk before they came up with an excuse for Clark's temporary absence from the Planet. It would have to be a good one since he only started working there a few months ago.

Standing by the window and looking up at the sky, Lois was quiet trying to be upbeat and hopeful but inside she wanted him to stay with her, but of course, he had to go.

Clark touched her arm. "Lois," he whispered.

"I know you have to go, Clark, I know, just." She couldn't finish.

"I have to go see my Mom before."

"Of course," she said and stood up straighter.

"I'm not sure when I'll have to leave, but I will be back to say goodbye," he whispered.

Tears blinded then she turned and went into his arms. "You'd better," she whispered and closed her eyes.

He pulled her tighter against him and then he pulled away and kissed her deeply, slanting his mouth against her. Lois moaned and kissed him back, her hands in his hair, stroking the softness.

After a few minutes, he had to force himself to release her. "I love you," he whispered.

Tears blinded. "I love you too."

"I'll see you soon?" He gave her a sad smile.

"Yes, I'll see you soon." Then he was gone. "I can't believe this is happening," she whispered and sat down slowly afraid she would lose it entirely and fall to the floor and ball her eyes out. After a few minutes and making a few calls to her family, she managed to pull herself together and went to her desk. The bullpen was quiet and subdued. What remaining staff was walking around like zombies, unsure if the Planet offices or anything else would still be there if the unthinkable were to happen.

It was now all over the news. The announcement was made by the media about a half hour ago. Apparently, it was true. An asteroid the size of numerous football fields was headed toward Earth. Every method available had been used to stop it or to change its course but was unsuccessful.

Superman was their last hope.

Perry frowned and walked over to her. "Where did Clark go? I saw him enter the elevator."

"He wanted to get as many reactions as possible about the asteroid. You know human interest."

"Well, it seems a waste of time to me."

"You know Clark, Perry, always interested in helping people, no matter; no matter what," she whispered barely holding it together.

Perry didn't know what to do. He touched her shoulder. "Lois, your family; maybe you should?"

"I've already talked to them, Perry. I've said my goodbyes."

He squeezed her shoulder. "I'll stay here with you."

Lois was surprised but grateful. "What about Alice?"

"Well, she's in Nevada, unable to get a flight, but she knows how I feel."

"Oh, Perry, I'm so sorry," Lois said.

"I'm staying too," Jimmy said.

"Well, they can't say we didn't go out without a bang!" Cat murmured.

Perry nodded then turned on the monitor. The President was about to make a speech. Everyone in the room was quiet.

The announcer spoke into the camera. "Ladies and Gentlemen, the President of the United States."

Sitting behind a desk in the oval office, it took a few minutes to gather his thoughts, then he spoke, his voice serious but somber:

_I address you tonight, not as the President of the United States, not as a leader of a country, but as a citizen of humanity. We are faced with the very gravest of challenges._

_The Bible calls this day Armageddon; the end of all things, and yet for the first time, the history of the Planet, a new species has the ability to prevent the total extinction of our world._

_All of you need to know that everything that can be done to prevent this disaster has been attempted._

_Thru all the chaos that is our history, through all of the wrongs and the discord, through all of the pain and suffering, through all of our times, there is one thing that has nourished our souls, and elevated our species above its origins and that is our courage._

_Although he hasn't been with us very long, he has proven to be a tremendously courageous and unselfish young man. Superman has graciously offered his assistance in this unspeakable endeavor. We pray that he is successful._

_Dreams of an entire planet are focused tonight… on one very brave young man … traveling into the heavens. And may we all, citizens the world over, see this thru._

_God speed; and good luck.(_ 1)

~o~o~

After the President's speech, Lois' cellphone rang; it was him. "Lois, I only have an hour. Meet me on the rooftop."

"I'm coming." She grabbed her bag and headed for the elevator. She turned back to her friends. "I'm sorry, but I have to see someone."

Cat spoke up. "It's Clark, isn't it?"

She stepped into the elevator. She saw no reason to lie, especially now, not under these dire circumstances. She turned to them. "Yes, it's Clark."

Jimmy and Perry nodded their heads. "Goodbye, Lois." Perry said.

"Goodbye." The doors closed, and she was gone.

~o~o~

 _The Daily Planet rooftop, minutes later_ :

Once reaching the door to the roof, Lois decided that the only way to send him away was with encouragement and thoughts of seeing each other again. There would be no other way.

Deep inside she wanted to cry, but what was the point. It would do no good and that was not what she wanted him to take with him into space, crying woman with no thoughts of anyone but herself and how she was feeling.

She opened the door and he was standing there waiting for her. He turned to her and held out his arms. She was in them in a second. He picked her up and held her tightly.

After a minute, he set her down and placed her face between his palms. "I know you want to cry, Lois. I can see your tears waiting to fall."

"I can't cry, Clark. If I do, I may never stop, not until you come back to me. Promise me you'll come back. Promise me."

He couldn't do it, not this time. So he clutched her to him tightly. She was brave, but she was also shaking. He stroked her back and kissed the top of her head.

"Look," he said and turned to the sky. "You can see it."

"It's moving so fast," Lois said, barely able to speak.

"Yes, it is." He pulled her close again. "I have to go."

"No, please, don't we have more time?"

"No, I have to get this over with. The sooner I can come home."

"Yes, the sooner you can come home." She tried to smile.

"Goodbye, Lois," he whispered and kissed her sweetly.

"Goodbye, Clark. I love you," she whispered, tears flowing from her eyes. She couldn't stop them.

"I love you too." He squeezed her hand, leaned down and kissed her again then he took off into the skies. A sonic boom could be heard seconds later.

~o~o~

 _A million miles above the Earth_ :

It was enormous. Its size was obviously an underestimation, not it's true size. Clark was thinking and NASA also agreed that the only thing that they could do was to avert it as much as possible away from Earth, and if that wasn't the solution, was to crash into it at its most vulnerable spot with all of his speed to break it apart into smaller pieces to cause much less damage.

He floated in front of it, but being up this close, it didn't seem like it was moving quite so fast, but in slow motion. He spoke to the people on the ground. "I can see it now."

Dr. Klein spoke to him. "The vulnerable spot; do you see that?"

"Yes, I see it, Doctor." After a moment, he took a deep breath. "Well, here goes!"

He worked up his speed and with his arms out in front of him, he crashed into the huge asteroid and the force of it knocked him far off course into where he floated unconscious for a must have seemed like hours. More pieces of the asteroid struck him all over his body. He was at the mercy of the asteroid fragments which also knocked him further and further away from Metropolis.

On impact, the asteroid exploded into several smaller pieces, but there was one large piece that was still on course toward Earth.

Clark was still unconscious as he fell from the sky. He hit the ground with a hard thud. The ground shook beneath him. Unfortunately, he was on the other side of the world far away from those he loved.

~o~o~

 _A few days later, in Metropolis_ :

Superman was still missing. The world assumed that he was dead. Lois didn't believe it and neither did Martha Kent.

Lois was at home when Perry called looking for Clark and she said she hadn't seen him since he told her he was leaving the country to get more stories. He accepted that explanation for now, but Lois couldn't think about work right now, when Clark was missing and she may never see him again.

There was a knock at her door. "Who is it?" She peered through the peephole and was shocked to see who was standing at her door.

"Ms. Lane; its Martha Kent. May I come in?"

Lois hesitated. The last thing she needed is to be chewed out for doing something wrong.

"I'm sorry for coming by unannounced like this, but ... I had to come." Martha's voice cracked.

Lois slowly opened the door and their faces were mirror images of the other, faces streaked with tears, shadows under their eyes as if they hadn't slept in days.

There was no one else Lois could talk to about Clark, except Martha. She understood and despite their earlier misgivings about their relationship, Martha needed comfort and so did she. Neither said a word.

Martha held out her arms and Lois fell into them as if she was starving. They both cried, desperate to have this release if only for a little while.

After a few minutes, Lois pulled away and whispered, "Come in, please."

Martha came inside and it was a nice apartment, small but cozy. She wiped at her eyes with a handkerchief.

"Would you like some coffee or maybe something a little stronger?" Lois tentatively asked.

"Coffee is fine, thank you," Martha replied and sat down on the sofa. On a side table, she noticed a picture of Lois and Clark taken at the Planet. They were surrounded by their co-workers. He looked so happy. She took a deep breath, holding it together. After the asteroid had exploded and Clark had disappeared, she had to come to Metropolis, just in case he returned there. She had to come.

"Here you go; careful it's hot," Lois said. "Do you want some cream, sugar?"

"Black is fine." Martha took a sip.

They both sipped their coffee, but after a moment, Martha spoke up. "You know, when Clark came to me and told me about the asteroid, at first, I thought 'don't go.' I know it was wrong, then I thought maybe it was time." She shook her head. "The world is such a mess."

Lois put the coffee down and took her hand. "I thought the same thing, but there's always hope."

She nodded, believing it. "Clark said the same thing to me."

"He's alive, Martha. I can't think of him any other way." Her eyes watered.

"Me neither," Martha agreed. They sipped their coffee and talked about Clark. Lois listened to her go on about his early years in Smallville.

Lois smiled when she told her about the red towel and how grownup he looked. He was only seven years old. Clark's father knew in that instant. He just knew.

~o~o~

 _Meanwhile, across the Atlantic Ocean_ :

Clark awakened several days later in a forest surrounded by trees and nothing else. He wondered what had happened to him. He slowly raised himself up and he didn't know where he was or even his name. He narrowed his eyes and tried to think, but there was nothing there; nothing at all.

He looked down at himself and wondered what in the world he was wearing. It looked like some kind of costume. Shaking his head, he stood up and took in his surroundings. He didn't recognize this place at all. With no knowledge of who he was, he began to walk. Hours later, he came upon a cabin.

An elderly gentleman came out and ran over to him. He knew exactly who he was. Unfortunately, the elderly gentleman didn't speak a word of English. It was over an hour before the authorities arrived and took him to a nearby hospital.

They couldn't do anything for him. Hours later, after examining him, a doctor who could speak English asked him if he should contact someone to come and get him. He had concluded in his examination that he was suffering from memory loss.

Clark frowned and replied, "No, there's no one."

The doctors and nurses realized that they would have to contact the American Embassy. Being on the outskirts of France, they contacted the police and they came and took him to Paris, France.

Clark's costume had been removed and placed inside a bag for him. He was given hospital scrubs, shoes, and a light jacket.

The Embassy then made the call to America, meaning the President of the United States.

~o~o~

 _Back in Metropolis, Lois' apartment_ :

Lois and Martha were bonding. Martha reminded her of her Mom, who had passed away when she was a teenager. Lois felt drawn to her, not only because of their love for her Son, but she was easy to talk to and she was the salt of the Earth; there was no other way to describe her.

"Lois, would you say a prayer with me?"

Lois hadn't said a prayer in a long time. "Of course," she whispered.

They held hands and bowed their heads. "Dear Lord, we pray for Clark who is gone from our sight but you can see him, so we pray that when he is found that he's unhurt if it is your will. In Jesus name we pray, Amen."

"Amen," Lois murmured.

The phone rang. They both frowned. "Lois Lane, here; yes, what did you say?" She waved Martha over to her. They both listened. "Yes, I'm here," she whispered. "I see, so he has no memory of who he is or his name?"

Martha and Lois stared at each other. "Yes, I'll be there." She hung up.

They were so happy that he was alive. "He's alive," Martha whispered and then they hugged each other close.

Lois pulled away after a minute. "I have to go." She wiped at her eyes.

"But can't I come with you?" Martha sniffed.

Lois took her hands in hers. "No, Martha. Superman has no family. We can't expose you to the media."

Martha hung her head. "I understand."

Lois gave her an impulsive hug. "I'll bring him here. I won't be long," Lois said. She squeezed her hands again, grabbed her bag, but then she remembered something. She ran to the bedroom and brought out a spare pair of glasses. She held them up to her.

"Good thinking!" Martha said. After Lois had gone, she turned on the television. The media were at the airport waiting for Clark's flight to land. It was a miracle. Superman was alive. The other asteroid would be stopped, but they were running out of time. "Oh, Clark." She closed her eyes and prayed that he was alright, and that his memories would return in time.

~o~o~

 _Metropolis International Airport_ :

The cab ride to the airport was taking longer than usual, no doubt because the world was coming to an end. Superman was alive, but they didn't have much time left.

Dr. Klein and various other military personnel were waiting for her when she arrived. He hurriedly brought her to an area where Clark was being held. "He still has no memory of who he is."

"But he still has his powers?" Lois asked, hoping for the best.

"Yes, his powers are there, but without any knowledge of Superman or even how to be him, he's completely lost," Dr. Klein explained.

"I see," Lois said. Clark was inside a room with a two-way mirror wearing clothes apparently given to him. He wasn't wearing his glasses, which was a good thing for now, Lois thought.

Clark was brought out to her. He looked fine, except his eyes were vacant. She wanted to cry.

"Where are you taking him?" Dr. Klein wanted to know.

"Some place where he can recuperate, away from the media," Lois replied, not looking at him.

"You do realize that the other asteroid is still coming. We have less than twenty-four hours."

"I know," she said. "I'll be in touch."

Clark was lead out through a private entrance reserved for dignitaries and heads of state, and placed inside a black SUV by a military escort. They handed him his costume which was still inside the bag. The driver was given Lois' address.

They pulled away from the curb and headed out. Clark didn't know this woman, but she seemed friendly enough. After staring at her for a minute, he whispered, "Do I know you?"

Lois closed her eyes for a moment, then she glanced at him. "Yes, you do."

"So, we're friends?"

She glanced at him. "Yes, we're friends; good friends."

He seemed fine with that answer. "This Superman, this alien being; everyone keeps telling me about him, but he seems too good to be true."

Lois chuckled. "He is; he really is."

"Well, you must have the wrong guy because I'm not perfect." He didn't know where that comment came from, but he knew it was true.

"No one is perfect, but you do come close," Lois said without thinking.

Clark picked up on something. "Just how close are we?"

Lois hesitated then glanced out the window. "We're here." Just in time, Lois thought.

The car slowed down then pulled into the parking garage to hide from prying eyes. Lois helped him from the car. She thanked the driver. She led him upstairs to her apartment and opened the door.

Martha came out from the kitchen then she saw him. "Clark?"

He pointed to his chest. "Is that my name?"

She grinned. "Yes, that's your name."

It didn't ring any bells, but she did look familiar. "Who are you?"

Martha's eyes watered. "Martha Kent and I'm your Mother."

He shook his head confused and unhappy. "I'm sorry, but I don't remember." He felt awful. He turned from her tears and glanced at his surroundings. "But I do know this place."

Lois and Martha glanced at each other with raised eyebrows.

Clark turned to the younger woman with a question, "Could you tell me about Superman?"

~o~o~

 _Meanwhile, in Lex Luthor's office_ :

After speaking with Perry, Lois hadn't returned to the office since Superman had disappeared. He'd heard the rumors about them, but he didn't take it seriously.

Her stories about the invasion were still being talked about. She was a brilliant reporter and the fact that she was getting all the scoops about him didn't mean that they were involved. He was disgusting alien. No way would she be involved with him.

His intercom peeped. "Who is it?"

"Thaddeus Rourke is here to see you, Sir," Janice his assistant answered.

"What the hell is he doing out of jail?" Lex wanted to know.

"Should I call security?"

"No, send him in," Lex said and waited for him. He refused to stand up. He wouldn't give him that satisfaction. He pretended to be busy when he walked in. Jones was right behind him. He stood off in the corner.

"Lex, I wouldn't ignore me. That wouldn't be smart," Thaddeus said.

Lex rolled his eyes. "I cannot believe you're threatening me. What do you want?"

"It's going to cost you."

"I don't have time for this; I'm busy."

"It concerns Superman and Lois Lane," Thaddeus said with a smirk.

That got Lex's attention. Thaddeus sat down.

"What do you want?" Lex asked again.

"I need another lawyer and I understand yours are the best."

Lex played along. "Alright, you have another lawyer, now spit it out."

"Superman and Lois Lane are close, very close. I witnessed it myself."

Lex wasn't entirely surprised. "You know this how, just from a few looks and glances?"

"It was more than that. He was, I don't know, desperate to keep her."

"He's always desperate. Come on, I need more than that." He reached inside his desk and pulled out his lawyer's card. "You can have this once you bring me proof."

Thaddeus fumed, but he had no choice now. "You'll have your proof and soon."

"Make it soon because Superman is leaving again for outer space and if he doesn't make it back, then you're going back to jail." Lex smirked at him.

Thaddeus left his office. Jones was right behind him. He had no choice now.

~o~o~

 _Meanwhile, back at Lois' apartment_ :

Lois was a bit surprised by his question. She glanced at Martha for help. Martha nodded and gave her an encouraging smile.

Everyone took a seat, then taking a deep breath, Lois told him everything she knew: his Kryptonian name; his unusual powers; where he came from; all of it, from the time they had met to the moment they said their goodbye's days ago, leaving out the intimate parts.

With admiration and something else in her voice, she went on to say how she truly felt about Superman and what he represented to their world.

Martha, being a romantic at heart, and for her Son to have met this woman at this particular time; it was pointless to try and come between them.

Clark was beginning to remember, but he had a question for her. "During the attack, I saved your life multiple times? Is that right?"

"Yes, you did," Lois replied remembering. "Thank you, by the way," she whispered shyly.

"You're very welcome." He paused as he stared at her. "And you and I worked together to save the world from Zod, didn't we?" He didn't give her a chance to explain. His eyes were different now. "Are you ready to answer my question?"

"What question?" Lois asked, teasing him a little.

Martha grinned at their teasing.

"How close are we?" He asked again. Lois hesitated.

"Clark, she loves you and you love her," Martha stated.

Clark grinned; he believed her. "So, it's true; we are close?"

"Yes, it's true," Lois replied, and tried not to blush.

Martha wanted to ease the tension for a minute. "Clark, are you hungry? I could fix us something to eat."

"Maybe later, Mom." He smiled at her look, stood up and walked over to the bag, and pulled out the Superman costume. "I know what I have to do."

Martha and Lois smiled at each other.

"I have to go." Moments later, he was in the suit. "It's really true; I'm Superman, but I'm also Clark Kent."

"Hold that thought." Lois grabbed her purse and handed him a spare pair of glasses. 

He slipped them on, head held high, hands on hips, he asked, "How do I look?"

"Perfect," Lois replied and chuckled.

TBC!

~o~o~

Note (1): President's Speech, _Armageddon_ (1998).

Song Inspiration: _I Love Me Some Him_ , Toni Braxton.

A/N: This part of the story had to be written for Martha and Lois to bond over their love for Clark. The episode 'All Shook Up' seemed to fit in with that idea. With all the twists and turns of Clark's memory loss, I thought it would be a fun way to bring not only Lois and Clark closer, but Martha and Lois as well, even if Clark didn't remember them. I hope you enjoyed it. Tell me what you think. Thanks for reading everyone. Reviews/kudos is love.


	7. I'm Here With You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this next chapter, Lois makes a surprising decision, Clark returns to outer space to stop the asteroid, Lex assumes the worst, and later, the truth is finally out. Please read and review. Thank you!:D

_Chapter 7: I'm Here With You_

_Lois' apartment, minutes later:_

Martha set him straight. "Son, the glasses are for you to wear while you're Clark Kent, not as Superman."

He removed the glasses, stared at them for a moment. "I remember now." He placed them inside his cape.

Relieved to hear it, Lois said, "Good, but we're running out of time." She picked up her cellphone.

"Who are you calling?" Martha asked.

"Dr. Klein; he needs to know that Superman is back," Lois replied.

Martha wasn't so sure. "Are you ready, Son, I mean, the asteroid?" She asked.

"I'm ready, Mom; don't worry." He came over to her and pulled her close. "I'll be back."

She pulled away and kissed his cheek. "Be careful."

"I will," he said. He turned to go.

Moved by the scene, Lois hung up with Dr. Klein. "They're waiting for you."

"Lois," he whispered. They stared at each other, speaking without words.

"I'll be in the bedroom," Martha said and left them alone.

"Well, I guess this is it," Lois whispered. She took his hand. "Clark, I've thought about it, and you were right."

He frowned. "Right about what?"

"I don't want to hide anymore. We're partners, best friends, and we love each other."

"I know that, but what are you saying?"

"When you come back, and you will come back, I want everyone to know that we're together; that Lois and Clark is a couple and that we care about each other as more than friends."

Thrilled she would think that way, he pulled her close. "Are you sure?"

To answer him, she put her arms around his shoulders, pulled his head down, and kissed him deeply. He kissed her back. After a minute, she pulled away.

"Does that answer your question?"

He smiled and said, "Wow, we truly are close."

She chuckled. "Indeed we are, now go and save the world."

"I'm on it." He kissed her quick and then he was gone.

She watched him fly away. After checking her messages, apparently Lex had called asking about his job offer. She decided to answer him in person.

"Martha!" Lois called out.

She came back into the living room. "What is it, Lois?"

"You'll be here when I get back? I have an errand."

"Ok, but," Martha began, worried about her.

"I won't be long and please make yourself at home."

"Alright, and thank you, Lois," Martha murmured still worried.

"You're very welcome, and Martha, thank you for coming."

"I wanted to come. Go on and hurry back."

"I will." Then she was gone.

~o~o~

 _Lex Luthor's tower space, a little while later_ :

Once Lois was given clearance to see Lex, she second guessed her decision to see him in person and not make a phone call to decline his offer to work for him. She thought it best to explain to him that she was not interested in seeing him. She had picked up on his flirtatious behavior at the Planet offices and during her interviews with him.

Perry wasn't happy about her decision, but when she explained that Lex was a very powerful man, and she didn't want her or the Planet on his bad side, he saw her point. He was not a man to be trifled with in any way. But he told her that if she weren't back in an hour, he would come looking for her.

She thanked him and was on her way. At the tower, she stepped off the elevator and surprisingly, Lex was there to greet her.

"Hello, Lois; I'm so glad to see you again," Lex said and invited her into his office. "Please take a seat."

"Hello, Lex," Lois said and sat down.

"Would you like something to drink?" He headed to the bar.

"No, thanks; I won't be here long," she replied.

He frowned. "You've decided?"

"Yes, I have. Your offer was very generous, but." He interrupted her.

"Can I show you something?"

"What is it; I have to get back to the office?" She asked.

"It won't take long," he replied. He opened the door and stood there waiting for her. "Please."

Lois hesitated, but then she followed him. He stepped into an elevator, placed a key inside a particular access keypad and pushed a button marked 'Ark'.

"Lex, where are we going?"

"You'll see," he replied. The elevator doors opened and they stepped out into a space that looked like a prison or something, with no windows only overhead lighting.

"What is this place?" Lois was definitely curious.

"We're 500 feet below the city. These walls are 16 inches thick. It was initially designed to withstand any nuclear blast."

"So it's a bunker?" Lois asked.

"Well, I prefer to call it the 'Ark.'" She followed him and there on the wall were obviously design plans for the Ark.

"How long have you been planning this?" She asked still curious.

"Well, my Father began this project a long time ago before I was born, but I added a few tweaks to fit my needs." He paused for a moment. "It's fully stocked to accommodate 200 people for three years, with tools for manufacturing and farming."

"I see, so if the world dies, you live?"

"Lois, the survival of a species does not depend upon all of its members."

Superman came into her mind. She wanted to leave, but he was speaking to her. Confused, she asked. "Did you want me to write about this?"

"No, Lois, advertising this would be somewhat cruel, don't you think?"

"I suppose so," she replied. "So why am I here?"

Instead of answering her, he walked along the corridor and Lois followed him. He opened a door that looked familiar. The number on the door was 501, the number of her apartment. She followed him inside and she was so stunned, she didn't know what to say.

"What do you think?" He asked and waited for her to say something.

"This is my apartment." She stated the obvious. _Has he been spying on me_? She thought, but she also smelled paint fumes.

"It's a reasonable facsimile, yes," he said. "Do you like it?"

"Yes, I mean, I decorated it, but I'm confused." She was also chilled to the bone, and a bit terrified.

"I'm offering you a chance to become a passenger on the Ark, my special guest on mankind's next great adventure."

Stunned again, she had to sit down. "Why me, Lex?" She knew the answer.

"Because I care; three years is a long time, and companionship during that time would." She interrupted him.

She stood up. "I can't stay here."

"But why not?" He sounded incredulous.

"First of all, I love my job so I'm turning down your offer. Second, I'm involved with someone and if the world were to end, I want to be with him, no one else."

He frowned. "Is this about Superman?"

"No, of course not," she replied, appearing shocked.

"Really, I heard the rumors about you two. He is immortal so I'm not surprised you would choose him over me," Lex declared getting upset.

Lois finally got the hint. "So that's why you built this place? Superman is the reason, not me. You want to hurt him, by keeping me here away from him."

Of course, she would figure it out. He underestimated her. He went to the door and locked it and put the key in his pocket. He calmed down a bit. "Lois, I'm trying to save your life. You must know that. The world will end soon and you won't have a choice."

"Are you insane? You can't keep me here. Everyone knows where I am."

"Superman is gone and he won't be coming back." He tried to reason with her.

Lois was getting desperate; she had mace in her purse. "Oh, he'll be back and when he does, you had better dig a deeper hole than this, because he will stop you; you can count on it." Lois was sure of it. She backed up then reached inside her purse.

He eyed her closely. "We'll see."

~o~o~

 _Meanwhile, high above the Earth_ :

Clark scanned the huge asteroid and there it was a spot where he could definitely split it apart, but first he tried something else. He tried to push it off course away from Earth. All of his strengths came into play, but it wasn't cooperating. He sighed, moved away from it.

"Dr. Klein, it won't budge. I'll have to crash into it like before."

"I understand." There was a pause. "Be careful."

"I'll try." Using his heat vision, he worked up his speed and crashed into it with all of his abilities, and this time, it worked. The asteroid exploded into smaller fragments. He watched as they landed in the North Atlantic far away from land. He was so relieved.

"It worked Doctor," Clark said. He could hear shouts of relief and joy in the background.

"Great job, Superman."

"Thanks, Dr. Klein." The world is saved. Now, he wanted to celebrate with Lois. His smile was bright, as he went home.

~o~o~

 _The Daily Planet bullpen, a little while later_ :

After changing, Clark called Lois' cellphone; no answer. He decided to check the Planet first. Everyone welcomed him back with handshakes and gladness. Everyone was celebrating, with hugs and cheers of joy and happiness. But where was Lois? Wine and champagne flowed freely. He checked his messages and his Mom had called looking for Lois.

He called her back. "And she didn't say where she was going?" Clark asked. _Where was she?_

"No, she didn't. Clark, I'm worried about her," Martha said, clearly upset.

"Don't worry, Mom, I'll find her." He hung up.

"Are you looking for Lois?" Jimmy asked, drink in hand.

"Yeah, have you seen her?" Clark asked and tried not to worry. It wasn't working.

"Yeah, she went to see Lex Luthor."

He frowned getting worried now. "When was this?"

"Several hours ago," Jimmy replied.

"Clark?" That was Perry. "Lois is not back yet. I'm worried about her."

"I'll bring her back, Chief." Clark quickly entered the elevator, flew up, ripping off his clothes as he went and then he was gone.

~o~o~

 _Meanwhile, back in Luthor's bunker_ :

Lex had no choice in the matter. Lois was stubborn. He had to save her; he had to. Tied up on the sofa, hands behind her back, and her legs were also bound, Lois was furious. He took her purse before she could take out the mace.

"I didn't think you would do something so stupid. Superman will find me."

"Oh, didn't I tell you that these walls are lined in lead? When I checked the design plans, and realized it would work to my advantage, I had it installed."

"He will hear me." She screamed. "SUPERMAN!"

"It's useless to scream. He won't hear you. Superman is dead."

"No, he's not," Lois said and prayed it was true. "SUPERMAN!"

"You're wasting your breath." He sat down beside her. Lois scooted away from him.

"Stay away from me."

Suddenly the door crashed open. Superman walked in eyes glowing red.

Lex swallowed and stood up, and played innocently. "I tried to keep her safe. I tried to save her life, but she insisted on leaving. I did it to protect her."

Clark immediately recognized the area as a replica of Lois' apartment. Furious but with a stoic expression, he ignored him, afraid that if he spoke, he would lose it entirely. He went to her and pulled the ropes from her arms and legs then he picked her up while Lois grabbed her bag.

Lois spoke up, afraid that Lex could get away with it. "He's lying, Superman. He tried to keep me here against my will. He kidnapped me."

"I know." He turned to Lex. "Luthor, this is the last time I will say this. If you ever come near her again, well, you don't want to know. Are we clear?"

"She called me; she came to see me. I just wanted to save her; that's all."

"Are we clear!?" Superman spoke a bit louder this time.

Lex fumed for a moment. "We're clear."

He left the faux apartment and Lois could see a massive hole in the ceiling where Clark had apparently crashed through the building five stories down. He flew up directly into a huge hole. Lois held on tight, but wondered if the building would survive after this. She opened her eyes and Clark had dived in from the first floor, so the main tower was still intact.

Still fuming, Lex walked out and saw them but only for a moment. He promised himself that they would not get away with this. Billions of dollars were gone because of him.

He went to his office and dialed Thaddeus Rourke's number.

~o~o~

 _High above the skies of Metropolis_ :

"You can slow down now, Clark," Lois said. They were really high now; the ground was barely visible up this high.

He slowed down a bit, pulled her closer, her head under his chin, his cape around her, safe and secure in his arms, where she belonged. He finally managed a few words. "Are you OK?" His heart was beating triple time. He took a deep breath. "This is the second time in so many weeks you've been tied up and helpless."

"Clark, I'm fine. I don't think he wanted to hurt me."

"But you're not sure?" Clark asked.

She hesitated. "There was a moment when he locked the door that I felt as if nothing I could say would change his mind. He was determined to keep me there."

"What possible reason did he have to do this to you?" Clark was upset but also confused about what had happened.

"At first, I thought he just wanted to show me the bunker, his plans, his hope for the future, but then when he showed me the replica of my apartment. I was stunned at first but then I felt sickened by it."

"I don't understand, Lois, and how did he know what your apartment looked like?"

"He must have spied on me; that's the only explanation." Clark was still. "He's never been there and I've never invited him either."

"He must be sick to do something like this."

"He is, Clark; I never led him on; never insinuated any interest in him at all." She paused at his look. "You do believe me, don't you?"

"Of course, I do." He pulled her close. "I'll take you home. My Mom is worried about you."

"Was she? I love her you know. It was so easy, much like her son," she said and smiled.

He chuckled at that comment.

"Clark, I meant what I said. Everyone needs to know the truth about you and me, the sooner, the better."

"I agree, so how do we tell everyone?"

"We could start here," she replied and kissed him deeply.

Clark was a bit surprised at first. He closed his eyes and kissed her back. A few minutes later, foreheads touching, they slowly drifted down from the clouds. Soon, they landed on the rooftop of her apartment building.

Martha was waiting for them. Lois opened the door.

"You're back!" She was so happy that she couldn't contain her excitement. She hugged Lois first.

"Hey, what about me?" Clark asked, joking a little.

"Oh, you!" Martha gave him a hug as well.

"Are you hungry? I made dinner."

"Actually, I am hungry, but I want to change first. I'll be right back," Lois said and went into the bedroom.

Clark twirled out of his costume. Lois felt a breeze and knew it was him. He stood in the living room in his jeans and plaid.

"I haven't seen those in a while," Martha commented.

"Yeah, I miss them too sometimes," Clark said. They sat down on the sofa. She took his hand. "How was it up there?"

"It was Ok. I was worried there about a minute. It wouldn't move, so I had to crash into it again."

"But it worked and now you're back." Martha said and hugged him again.

"Let's eat!" Lois frowned. "What are you wearing, Smallville?"

"What, you've never seen jeans and a plaid shirt before?"

"No, not on you," Lois replied.

Clark and Martha shook their heads and smiled. While eating dinner, they turned on the news channels and of course Superman was the top story. The commentator was speaking of the destruction of the asteroid and that Superman was a real hero to everyone. But then the commentary turned to Superman's non-existent life, and how he was all alone in the world; that maybe there was someone out there who loved him just a little and would take care for him. Then a few stories appeared about his stay in France, how alone he was; that no one would come for him, except when he came home. Lois Lane seemed his only friend in the entire world.

Lois and Clark glanced at each other.

Clark switched off the television. "Mom, Lois and I have made a decision." He then told her what they had decided to do.

"I'm not truly surprised with all of this talk about you and Lois being close. It's a wise decision."

Relieved, she whispered, "We're happy you feel that way. Tomorrow, at the office, we will announce it to everyone."

"I'd like to be there to show my support," Martha said.

"Of course you can," Clark said and smiled at her.

After dinner, while Martha rested for a while, Lois and Clark went out for a walk. It was now dark and they strolled down the street, hand in hand.

But they were being watched. Jones took pictures of them. This was his way of counteracting the stories about Superman and Lois Lane. Once he told his boss, then all of this talk about revealing some deep dark secret between them would stop. He was sure of it. Lex Luthor would find something else to obsess over.

Clark heard the shutter of the camera but didn't turn around. He then pretended to drop something and reached down to the ground. He caught a glimpse of Jones behind a tree, and wondered why he was taking pictures of them.

They walked over to him. "You can come out now," Clark said loud enough for him to hear him.

"Who is it?" Lois asked and gasped when she saw Jones and wondered where Rourke could be.

Clark held out his hand. "I'll take that."

Jones handed him the camera. "You don't understand; I'm doing this to help you. Rourke and Luthor are convinced that Ms. Lane and Superman are seeing each other, if you know what I mean. I wanted to show them these photos so they would back off and leave you alone. You two seem so happy."

"We are happy." He gave back the camera. "Tell them that we are happy and soon everyone will know the truth; that Lois Lane and Clark Kent are in a relationship and Superman is just a friend to both of us."

"I will; I promise." He left them alone.

"Was that wise?" Lois asked.

"Don't worry, I saw the photos and they're perfectly harmless."

"That's a relief."

"Come on, we can go back now. It's been a long day."

Arm in arm, she whispered, "And tomorrow will probably be the same."

He sighed. "You're probably right."

~o~o~

 _The next morning, at the Planet_ :

With Lois and his Mom with him, they went into the office. After the staff meeting, before everyone went back to their desks, he gathered everyone's attention, and introduced his Mom, and then he began his speech.

"Some of you have wondered about Lois and me, so I wanted to silence the gossip and rumors about us." He held out his hand. She came closer and took it; he leaned down and kissed her for a moment. "It's true; Lois and me, well, we're a couple. We met years ago, long before I came to Metropolis. She asked me to come and work here as a full-time reporter and so, here we are." They smiled at each other. Lois couldn't resist him. She'd never felt so free. She pulled his head down and laid a big one on him. Clark kissed her back.

Jimmy grabbed his camera and took picture after picture. Everyone laughed at their playfulness; they looked so happy.

"I knew it!" Cat couldn't help saying. "Congratulations, you two."

"Thanks, Cat!" Lois said and smiled at her co-workers.

"Congratulations," Perry said and went to shake his hand. "I had a feeling," he said and gave Lois a hug. "Now don't expect any special treatment."

"We won't," Clark and Lois said at the same time.

They all laughed and went back to work. Martha left the office. Lois and Clark kissed her goodbye, and she went back to Lois' apartment.

Minutes later, after returning to the bullpen, the overhead monitors were turned up. Lex Luthor was about to make a statement. Standing in front of his tower, he looked authoritative and ready to do business.

"Perry, what is Lex up to?" Lois asked. "Did you know about this?"

"I had no idea," Perry thoughtfully replied.

Lex stood before the crowd of his chosen reporters. He specifically excluded the Daily Planet because they were apparently biased when it came to Superman. He just wished he could see their faces when he made his announcement.

"Good morning, everyone; it's a beautiful day, isn't it? I have been very busy these past few months. I needed to speak with you since the attack, and I can't keep silent any longer. Metropolis has sustained a crushing blow, not only for its people, but for the economy as well. We can't expect a dime from the Government. Metropolis is my home, so I wish to remedy that by contributing my financial support to rebuild our city."

A few shocked gasps could be heard, not only by the Planet staff but by the reporters standing before him.

'Why now, Mr. Luthor; it's been two months since the attack?" A Metropolis Star reporter asked.

"The timing is not ideal, but I want my city to be prepared for what's to come."

"Prepared for what?" The same reporter asked.

"For General Zod's return, of course." He let that hang for a minute.

"But he's gone, isn't he?" Another reporter asked, confused.

"Not according to the video feeds that I been privy to. He's still out there as far as I know." He paused. "We have to prepare for that. If he returns, we will have nothing that will be able to stop him."

"Superman will stop him; he did it before." Another writer stated firmly.

"That's just my point. Superman did not stop him; can he do it again? I have my doubts about that."

"Now hold on a minute. Superman saved the entire world twice. I have faith in him," a different reporter said firmly.

"I know that, but there comes a time when we have to ask questions, and I'm a concerned citizen just like all of you."

"What should we do?" A worried reporter asked.

"We need to see General Zod." He paused for effect. "Is he confined in some particular prison to keep him contained? Is he walking among us waiting for an opportunity to strike?"

Now, everyone was worried, murmuring and asking questions.

Lex held up his arms to calm the crowd. "Please rest assured that I am here to help. I and my scientists are working diligently to find a way to stop him, and we won't fail. I can promise you that. Now, if you have any more questions, please contact my office. Thank you for coming."

He left the podium and inwardly smiled. Lex was pleased, very pleased.

~o~o~

 _Back at the Planet_ :

Lois and Clark stared at each other, not saying a word. Their minds were totally shocked and concerned.

"What in the world is he hoping to gain by bringing up Zod now?" Perry asked a bit stunned. He stared at his star reporters and they also appeared stunned.

"Lois, has Superman said anything to you about General Zod, where he is, or anything at all?" Perry asked.

"No, he hasn't," Lois lied. She glanced at Clark and he was staring into space, not seeing anything.

"I see, well, we need to find out exactly what happened. Is he alive or is he dead?" Perry thoughtfully asked. He paced for a moment.

"There's a story there, and I intend to find out what it is," Perry murmured, determined to find out the truth.

TBC!

~o~o~

Song Inspiration: _The Light_ , Sara Bareilles.

A/N: Oh dear, Lex dropped the Zod bomb. But I don't see that turning into a huge issue. The truth is not going to come out; at least I hope it doesn't.  Laney is in charge, but she's hiding from me at the moment.  The Zod issue will be a major part of the next movie; that's not even in doubt.  I have touched on it before, but not quite like this.   The bunker scene played out a bit strange, but I think it worked. I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading everyone. Reviews/kudos is love.


	8. Music to My Soul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this next chapter, Clark goes to see Lex; Clark has doubts about his and Lois' relationship; the police have questions for Lex; and later, the President gets involved in the Zod mystery. Please read and review. Thank you!:D

_Chapter 8: Music to My Soul_

_The Daily Planet bullpen, moments later:_

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but Ms. Lane, you have a phone call. It's your Father and he says it's urgent," Helen, the receptionist said.

Glancing at Clark, she touched his arm, and whispered, "I'll be right back." She decided to take the call in private. In a conference room, she picked up the phone, not surprised she would hear from him. "Hello, Daddy; yes, I'm alone."

"You saw Luthor's speech, if you can call it that?" Sam asked.

"Yes, I saw it," Lois replied and rubbed her tired eyes.

"The President has decided to forgive Superman."

Lois immediately brightened. "Do you mean a pardon?" She couldn't believe it.

"Yes, and it's very rare. He called the base immediately after Luthor's speech. He was not happy that it came out this way, especially after Superman saved the world again, but he felt it was the right thing to do."

"Superman will be thrilled, I know. Thank you, Daddy. I'll get in touch with him," Lois happily said.

"Lo, the President felt it was necessary to give a reason for his forgiveness. He will state that he was worried about Zod's intentions and Superman was too. We all understood Zod's subtle threats when he first arrived here. Of course, we never suspected that he wanted to rebuild Krypton on Earth at the expense of the entire planet," Sam explained.

"No, we didn't have a clue," Lois agreed.

There was a knock at the door. Clark poked his head in. Lois waved him in.

"Yes, Daddy, I'll tell him. Goodbye, Daddy and thank you."

"Well, what did he say?" Clark asked, still extremely concerned.

"Let's sit down for a minute." After taking a seat, she took his hand. "The President has come up with a way to help you."

"How could he possibly help me?" Clark asked.

Lois then explained what the press release would say. Clark was stunned. "I can't go along with that; it's as if he's condoning what I did. It was my decision to kill Zod; no one else."

"Clark, you don't understand. The President is giving you a pardon. You do realize how rare it is for him to do this?" He nodded. "It doesn't exonerate you of any crime. It's an expression of mercy and forgiveness. It would not be justice to put you on trial for killing Zod. The President realizes this, and that is why he's doing it." Clark was silent. "I know that look. Please don't reject it. It will work, and after everyone realizes that Zod had to be stopped then all of this will die down in no time."

He shook his head. "I don't know, Lois. It just feels wrong; I don't know."

She squeezed his hand. "Clark, the President and the entire world wanted to thank you for saving all of us, and you did it twice." Her eyes watered, getting emotional. "Please, tell me you'll think about it."

Her eyes were shining. He stood up and pulled her close. "I'll think about it; I promise."

~o~o~

 _Lex Luthor's tower space, minutes after his speech_ :

When Lex arrived, Thaddeus Rourke was waiting for him. "Nice speech," he said and sipped his drink.

"I'm busy; make it quick," Lex said, not looking at him. He sat down at his desk.

"You called me, Lex. There's an envelope waiting for you; it's inside your desk."

Lex frowned, opened the top drawer and pulled out a brown flat mailer. He opened it and inside were photographs of Lois Lane with Clark Kent and they were smiling and holding hands. "What the hell is this?"

"Looks like we were wrong," Thaddeus replied.

"Don't you mean you were wrong?" Lex asked, furious with him.

"Look, I know what I saw. Superman cares about her, but apparently those feelings are not returned."

Lex thought about it for a minute. "It doesn't matter. Superman is going down, and there's nothing that anyone can do to stop it."

"Lex, what about that lawyer's card you promised me?" Thaddeus asked.

"You're out of luck."

Thaddeus fumed, but it appeared that it was true. He was definitely out of luck. Jones had turned against him; his lawyer told him that he was going to testify against him for a lesser sentence. He was doomed.

~o~o~

 _A little while later, the bullpen_ :

After giving her statement to the police about Lex, Lois and Clark returned to the office.

Jimmy walked over to them. "Perry is looking for you two."

"Thanks, Jimmy," Lois said. They went into his office.

"Take a seat," Perry said. Deep in thought, he looked out the window for a moment. "I'm still finding it difficult to believe that Zod is out there walking around waiting for the right moment to attack. He's all alone, isn't he?"

"As far we know," Clark replied distracted.

He turned from the window. "Superman is the key to this story. Zod was determined to kill him. I saw it myself."

"That's true Perry, but I think you're wrong about Superman being the key," Lois said.

Perry frowned. "What do you mean?"

"What you said about Lex looking to gain something from his vague questions about Zod; he's the key." She glanced at her partner. "I think he wants to discredit Superman and put doubt into his ability to defeat him."

Perry stroked his chin. "You may be right about that." He thought about it. "But Superman can do no wrong; everyone loves him."

"That's true, Chief," Lois agreed.

"We need to talk to Lex Luthor. I should be insulted that he didn't invite the Planet to his speech this morning."

"Well, I can't do it, Chief; I burned my bridges with him, remember?"

"Yeah, that stunt he pulled by keeping you against your will. Have you spoken to the police about that?" He asked.

"Yes, I went to see them a little while ago. I told them exactly what happened, and there will be an investigation," Lois replied.

"Good because, what he did was against the law. You can't keep someone against their will; whether the world is ending or not." He thought about it for a minute. "Luthor is up to something, but what?" He had an idea. "Well, Kent, you could interview him."

Clark was quiet; thinking about the pardon. "Well, I guess I could go see him."

"Excellent set it up and run your questions by me. You can go now."

They left his office, and put together questions for Lex Luthor.

After a little while, Lois came over to him. "I don't know about you going to see him alone. You could lose your temper."

"Lois, I don't have a temper," Clark said, reading his questions.

"Everyone has a temper," she said. "Keep in mind that he probably knows by now about you and me so he won't be in a good mood, plus the police are probably talking to him as we speak."

"Well, his foul mood is his real self. This good guy persona is a fake, and the sooner the public knows it, the better," Clark said.

She could see he was getting worked up. "Alright, hand them over." She held out her hand.

He gave her his questions, but they were all wrong.

"Clark, you can't bring up the kidnapping."

"Why not; he did it, didn't he?" He asked surprised she would say that.

"Yes he did, but the police will handle it. You can't get involved."

"But I am involved. You're mine, and he needs to know that."

Lois grinned. "I'm yours, like a piece of property?"

"You know what I meant."

She sighed and handed the list back to him. "These questions are not going to do; besides Perry will agree with me."

"Uh, huh; we'll see." Clark was sure that Perry would be on his side and he was right.

"Excellent questions, Kent," Perry said.

"Thanks, Chief." After leaving Perry's office, he whispered to her on his way out, "Told you." He had a smug look on his face when he left the office.

Lois shook her head, but then she began to worry. Lex was famous for twisting words to get what he wanted. Clark could be a bit naïve about how cruel people could be.

~o~o~

 _Meanwhile, Luthor's office at the tower_ :

"What is it, Jane?" Lex answered the intercom.

She cleared her throat. "Police detectives from the Third Precinct are here to see you, Sir. They have a few questions for you concerning Lois Lane."

Dammit, he thought. "Send them in." Lex stood up and held out his hand. "Gentlemen."

"This isn't a social call," Detective Williams said. He showed him his badge and so did his associate, Detective Burns.

"Of course, please take a seat." They all sat down.

"You know why we're here?" Detective Williams asked.

He sighed. "Yes, Ms. Lane has apparently pressed charges. I'm not surprised. Unfortunately, she was under the impression that I wanted to keep her there against her will, which wasn't the case at all."

"She said that she was tied up; sounds to me like you were holding her against her will," Burns said.

Lex stood up and paced for a moment. "Gentleman, let me explain something to you. During the tour, Lois was completely understanding about the bunker; she was actually very impressed. But the more we continued on our tour, the more I realized that I had to stop her from leaving. Superman was not himself. Everyone knew about his memory loss. Who knew what would happen up there? All we knew was that he didn't know who he was. I had to save her and if that meant keeping her there against her will, well." He paused. "I know it was an extreme solution, but I truly had no choice."

Meanwhile outside Lex's office in the reception area, Clark was bit early for his appointment. He heard every word. Taking a few deep calming breaths, he closed his eyes and thought about the President's pardon. He had decided to accept it. To lose his temper now and expose himself would be a stupid thing to do. Lois was right; he did have a temper.

"I see," Williams said. "The District Attorney will decide whether to continue this case, but in the meantime, Luthor, everyone has free will and to deny that is a serious offense. Remember that." Williams was firm with him.

"Of course," Luthor said and escorted them out. He came up short when Clark Kent stood up and stared at him with a look that gave him pause.

"Mr. Luthor, Clark Kent is here to see you. He's a bit early," Jane said.

"No problem. Please come in, Mr. Kent, and please take a seat."

Clark was not in the mood to sit down. "I should wring your neck."

Lex's eyebrows rose. He sat down at his desk. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me. Superman told me what you tried to do to Lois Lane."

"And why would that concern you?" He asked.

He stood up straighter and puffed out his chest. "Ms. Lane and I are involved."

"Involved; really?" He chuckled and decided to have a bit of fun. "I wonder what Superman would say to that. It's obvious to everyone that he cares deeply for her." He looked him up and down. "I do have to hand it you though. Superman must be a tough act to follow if you know what I mean." He smirked at him.

Clark narrowed his eyes. It took everything in him not to strangle the man.

"I can see you want to hurt me. That wouldn't be wise. You see, Mr. Kent, I know about you and Lois."

"Then why did you kidnap her? She wants nothing to do with you," Clark asked and wondered what was really going on.

Lex stood up and walked over to his balcony, walked out and looked up, expecting to see the alien. "Superman is a menace. All he does is circle all over my city destroying property and hurting people under the guise of helping them. One of these days, he's going to hurt the wrong person and he could end up in jail. You mark my words."

Zod came into his mind. "You're wrong about him." Clark didn't believe that; he was always careful, especially since killing him.

"I don't think I am." Lex came back inside. "You know, Kent, I was wondering."

Clark frowned. "What were you wondering?"

"Superman is a rival for Lois' affections." He let that sink in then he wondered if he could trust him. "You want him gone and so do I."

"What are you asking me?"

"If I and my scientists could come up with a way to get rid of him, well, are you in?"

"Not on your life." Clark didn't hesitate.

Lex was taken aback. "Wow; that was a quick answer."

"I don't have to think about it. Superman belongs here on Earth. Without him, we would all be dead. Think about that, Luthor." He turned on his heel and left, but he could still hear him.

"Think about it, Kent! If Lois had a choice, she wouldn't choose you! You know it's true!"

The elevator doors opened and he stepped inside. Clark covered his ears. "It's not true; it's not true." He whispered over and over again.

~o~o~

 _Later that evening, Lois' apartment_ :

That afternoon, Lois took Martha to the airport. Lois hated to see her leave, but she sent her off with hugs and kisses, promising that Clark would come and see her soon. Martha understood how busy he could be. Back at her apartment, she glanced at her watch. It was almost 9:00 o'clock.

After his meeting with Lex, Clark hadn't returned to the bullpen. Perry was also worried, but apparently nothing had happened during their meeting. Perry called his office looking for Clark. His assistant said that Mr. Kent had gone hours ago.

It was now past ten and she was really worried. Sitting up in bed, she turned on the television, switched on the news and there was Lex leaving the Mayor's downtown office. The charges had been reduced to probation. A reporter asked him if it had anything to do with the money he promised the city. Lex strongly denied that rumor. The City would get their money. He would not go back on his word. Then he smiled at the camera and departed in his limousine.

"Well, of course he denied it," Lois said and shook her head. So much for justice, she thought. Turning toward the sound, she heard noises coming from the living room. "Clark?" She jumped out of bed and he was standing there looking so confused. "What happened? Why didn't you return my calls? I was so worried."

"I'm fine Lois," he replied, not looking at her, hands in his pockets.

She didn't understand. "But where were you?"

"At my apartment," he replied.

"Oh, I see." Lois has never been to his place. "Are you ready to talk now?"

"Lois, I won't be staying here tonight. We may need to pull back for a bit."

Her heart constricted. "What are you saying?"

"I've been thinking about us all afternoon, and," he paused and stared at her. She was getting upset.

She pulled herself together and straightened her shoulders. "Just tell me what happened with Lex; something must have happened?"

Sighing, he walked over to the balcony, pulled the curtains aside and looked up at the moon. "He said some things."

She followed him. "What things? And please tell me you didn't listen to him. He's crazy."

He turned to her with a question. "If you had a choice and if I didn't have super powers, would you choose Superman over me?"

"What kind of a question is that? I'd love you no matter what. You must know that."

"Are you sure? I mean all those times I saved you and."

She took his hand. "Clark, listen to me. You are Superman Ok? The fact that you do have powers and you saved me, well, that's you and no one else." She came closer and touched his chest. "Do you know when I fell in love with you?"

He shook his head. "No, I don't."

"It was those few minutes you were in my arms in the train station." She paused becoming emotional. "You were you, Clark, so vulnerable, so hurt and upset. I was so glad I was there for you."

He smoothed her hair behind her ear. "I was too; I guess I needed to hear it."

She leaned into his hand. "Oh, Clark, I can't believe you would be insecure about yourself. Superman is a part of you, powers or not. You're my hero, always and forever."

He clutched her to him tightly. "Always and forever." He kissed the top of her head.

"Yes, don't ever forget that Ok?" Her eyes watered.

"I won't; I promise." He pulled away, picked her up and carried her into the bedroom. She kissed his cheek, his ear and down his hot throat. "So warm."

He stopped walking and kissed her deeply, swirling his tongue inside her mouth. They both moaned loving being together like this. She managed to pull her mouth away. Foreheads touching, she whispered, "Clark, I need you so much."

"I need you too," he whispered and set her down.

"You are wearing entirely too many clothes," she whispered and helped him out. Slipping off his jacket, she placed on the side chair. His shirt and tie came next, and then he stepped back. Everything else came off in one second or it could have been less; she wasn't sure because she blinked and there he stood in nothing but his boxers. The suit and the rest of his clothes were on the chair.

"I can't get over how you do that. It's sexy, weird and so hot!" She came closer and touched his chest with both hands. They wouldn't be still. She stroked his arms and chest at her leisure. "Damn, I'm a lucky woman."

"No, I'm the lucky one." He slipped her nightgown off her shoulders and she moved out of it. She had on her underwear.

She climbed into bed and slipped under the covers. His boxers fell to the floor.

Lois couldn't tear her eyes away from his magnificent body. "Clark, I was so worried."

"I know and I'm sorry, Lois," he whispered. She held up her arms inviting him in. He moved under the covers and went into her arms holding her close. Then he began his exploration of her beautiful body. Her panties were removed slowly then kisses moved past her stomach until they reached her beautiful breasts. He took a nipple into his mouth and pulled delicately. "Ohh," Lois said and arched her back. He continued to the other breast for a few minutes more. Lois clutched his dark head to her breast as she watched him pleasure her. "Oh, Clark; that feels so good," Lois managed to say, as she felt her body react with every pull of his lips.

Clark had to stop for a moment to get some control. Lois's moans were turning him on beyond measure. He wanted their time together to last a whole lot longer. Lois knew how tense her love had been over the past few weeks so she pushed him back on the mattress to pleasure him in much the same way. He moaned as her lips to his lips, his cheek and then down his throat to his chest. Her lips closed over his nipple and then went to pleasure the other one. I know how much he liked that, but she knew what he would like what she was about to do even more.

She kissed her way back down his stomach, as she stroked and caressed his ever hardening erection. Clark closed his eyes as his love's moist mouth slowly moved over him up and down, up and down.

She stroked him for a few more moments, and then he pulled her up and kissed her pushing his tongue inside his mouth. He left her hot mouth and kissed his way down her throat and back to her lips again. His hands roamed over her body, wanting to make this moment last forever, oh, if only he could.

Despite his raging need, his mouth slanted against hers, as his fingers traced the opening of her body, moving along her slick and sensitive flesh. Her hand covered his to press his fingers inside her body, as a low moan rumbled inside his chest.

"NOW, Clark, I want you now… Please," Lois pleaded on a sigh throwing her head back into the pillow.

Clark positioned himself between her thighs and thrust home, too hungry for her to delay the pleasure any longer. They both gasped when he filled her. Lois pulled his mouth back to hers and thrust her tongue inside his mouth.

He held the back of her head and took her lips in a deep kiss one after the other. Soon, they found that ancient rhythm. She felt so safe in his arms, as her cries and thrusting hips carried him closer to that peak. A few minutes later, her delighted cry and her expression of release sent him over the edge.

They floated back down to Earth caressing and stroking their heated bodies. Clark covered them, pulled her close, stroking her hair and arms. Several minutes passed before either of them could speak. Pulling her closer, he kissed her forehead.

"I know you don't want to talk about it, Clark, but did anything else happen today?" She felt him stiffen. She raised herself up on her elbow. "Tell me."

"It was Lex. He said that Superman was a rival for your affections, then he said that he was working on a plan to get rid of me, meaning Superman."

"What; how could he possibly do that? You can't be killed; can you?"

"No, not yet anyway," he replied hoping to lighten the mood.

"I'm serious, Clark. Nothing can hurt you right?"

She was getting upset, so he pulled her close. "No, nothing can hurt me, except."

"Except what?"

"If you turned against me or left me."

She touched his chest. "You're stuck with me flyboy; remember that." She snuggled close.

He chuckled. "You're stuck with me too." He closed his eyes then he felt soft kisses on his chest up past his throat, and before he knew what was happening, Lois was on top of him, kissing him and rubbing her body against him. He closed his eyes enjoying her movements then he rolled her to her back and then it began again.

Loving his lingering kisses, Lois moaned deep in her throat. "Oh, yes, that's it." While he worked his magic on her ear and her throat, she stroked his hair. "You know, Clark, when we're together like this, nothing can hurt us." She pulled his head up. "Nothing and no one can come between us, not even you."

He smiled. "I believe you," he whispered firmly. "Now where was I?"

"Right there," she answered softly. His lips moved back to her throat.

TBC!

~o~o~

Song Inspiration: _My Love_ , Sara Bareilles.

A/N: Lois and Clark needed this time alone for reassurance and encouragement. Clark's doubts about his alter-ego are so canon and strange. He hasn't been Superman very long, so to have these doubts didn't seem unusual to me. As far as Lex getting probation, well you would be amazed what money can buy, even freedom. I know it sucks, but there it is. Now as far as the President pardoning Superman (and please don't beat up my Muse about that plot twist), but I say right on Prez! I think it was really cool! Now, I'm not saying there won't be repercussions, but we'll see what happens next. Tell me what you think. Thanks for reading everyone. Reviews/kudos is love.

Look for an update in about TWO WEEKS. The beach is calling; leaving early tomorrow for a week. I can hear the waves! Bye for now! *Please feel free to comment. I will be online!*


	9. Yeah, It's Crazy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm back and I hope you're still with me! In this next chapter, Lois and Clark have a disagreement; the President has an announcement, and later, Clark has an unexpected question for Lois. Please read and review. Thank you!:D

_Chapter 9: Yeah, It's Crazy_

_Lois' apartment, the next morning:_

Clark hadn't slept most of the night, but he had made up his mind to accept Luthor's offer to get rid of Superman. Although he had initially rejected the offer out of jealousy and pure hatred for the man, he would get to the bottom of Luthor's schemes.

After telling Lois his stunning plans, he stood back and watched her get ready for work but decided to keep his distance. He could clearly see that she was trying really hard to keep her temper in check. She took a shower, brushed her hair until it shined, brushed her teeth and got dressed.

There was one good thing out of all of this. Clark had decided to accept the President's pardon. She had called her Father earlier this morning to give him the news.

Clark was ready and waiting for her. "Lois, we should talk about this."

"What's the point?" She asked while getting her coat from the closet. "You've already made up your mind."

"No, I haven't made up my mind. I wanted to see." He hesitated.

"You wanted my opinion; well you got it. Don't do it."

He sighed. "Is this our first fight?"

She shook her head. "I suppose it is," she replied not looking at him.

He came closer. "I'm sorry, Lois, but it's the only way to find out what Luthor is up to. By being there at LexCorp, I can keep an eye on him. I don't see why you're so upset. I thought you would be thrilled."

"Thrilled?!" She almost yelled. She dropped her things and stared at him. "Clark, Lex Luthor is insane. He kidnapped me, tied me up and tried to do whatever his warped mind could come up with, and now you want to go over there and spy on him, but I don't see the point. You said it yourself; you can't be killed, so why are you really doing this?" He was silent. "Well, tell me."

He turned from her and tried to explain how he truly felt. "I need to know if there's any way that I could be killed. I need to know just in case." He turned back to her and it was if she could read his mind.

She frowned. "Just in case of what?" She shook her head. "Don't say it."

"In case it happens; we need to prepare ourselves."

"You sound as if you've given up."

"No, I haven't given up. If Luthor does come up with a way to get rid of me, then I'll alert the authorities. There are no laws against killing me, as far as I know, but if he does, well, he'll probably get away with it. So, I have to stop him somehow, and the only way to do that is to be there in the beginning."

Lois wasn't entirely convinced, but she did see his point. "And what if you come in contact with some type of virus or pathogen that you don't know about, and you get sick and." She couldn't finish.

He pulled her close and stroked her hair. "Honey, please don't think that way."

"I can't help it, Clark. We just found each other." She pulled him closer. "Do you know how rare it is to find love; to find that one person who loves you no matter what, and you love them in return?" Eyes shining, she looked him in the eye. "Do you?"

He touched her cheek. "Of course, I do."

"Then, please don't do this," Lois begged him.

He dropped his hand. "I'm sorry, Lois, but I need to do this. Please try and understand," Clark begged hoping she would follow eventually.

She sighed, turned from him, grabbed her things and left. Dejected, head down, he followed her.

~o~o~

 _A little while later, Perry's office at the Planet_ :

After Clark explained his plan, Perry could see his point, but he was also concerned. "How many hours are we talking about Kent?"

"A few days, I think. I got the idea that Luthor had already started on something."

He watched him closely. "I can't imagine that Lois is happy about this."

"No, she isn't happy at all."

"I don't blame her, Kent." Perry turned to the window. "Since Superman arrived, she's been preoccupied with him." He turned back to him. "Sorry, Kent, but that's just the way things are."

"I know that, Chief and I've accepted that, but Lois needs to understand that I'm doing this to stop Luthor and help Superman as well. I don't see why she doesn't understand that."

"Giving you a hard time, is she?" Perry asked.

"Yeah, she doesn't want me anywhere near Luthor, let alone work with him."

"I'll talk to her," Perry said.

"Would you, Chief; that would mean a lot?"

"No problem."

Clark stood up and shook his hand. "I'll be in touch."

~o~o~

Clark left Perry's office, went to his desk and gathered his things. Lois watched him out of the corner of her eye, but didn't say a word.

"Lois, get in here!" Perry screamed from his office door.

She stood up. "Coming, Chief!"

"Lois?" Clark asked, hoping to get a goodbye, at least.

She turned to him. "Well, I see you're leaving?"

"Yes, and I wanted to," he hesitated.

"Say goodbye?" she whispered, trying to hold it together. He wanted to kiss her goodbye. Lois could see it clearly. She gave in, and whispered, "Get over here!"

He came over and pulled her close. "Don't worry, Ok? Everything is going to be alright."

"I do believe you; don't ever doubt that," she whispered fervently.

He pulled away, leaned down and kissed her sweetly. She couldn't help herself and kissed him back. After a moment, he pulled away. "I'll call you later?"

"Sure, call me later."

He squeezed her hand, and then he was gone.

Perry came over to her. "Lois, he knows what he's doing."

She watched the elevator doors close. "I don't think he does."

~o~o~

 _A little while later, LexCorp Tower_ :

Sitting in Luthor's office, Clark decided that a mild-mannered impression would suit this assignment, so he decided that apologizing would be a good idea. Once they were seated, he said, "Mr. Luthor, I wanted to apologize for my outburst yesterday."

"Well, I must say that I was taken aback by your attitude. Superman needs to go away and I'm sure it wouldn't hurt your relationship with Ms. Lane."

"You're right, with him gone, well."

"I'm glad you saw reason. Now, before we begin, have you any experience with human anatomy?"

"Yes, actually, I took premed courses in college. I even thought about being a doctor at one point."

"Really, that's wonderful news." Lex was impressed.

"Yeah, but I met Lois a few years ago and well, she asked me to come to Metropolis and be with her and well, the rest is history, as they say," he said and shrugged seeing no need to elaborate.

"Oh, I completely understand, believe me. She's quite a lady."

Clark silently counted to ten. "Could I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"How did you gain access to her apartment? I saw the police report."

Clark's jealousy was showing. Lex understood. "Well, I do own that building and I have access to all of my tenants."

What a sicko, Clark thought. "I see, well, I had to ask."

"No problem; I thoroughly understand." He stood up. "Shall we get started?"

"Of course." Clark stood up and followed him.

In the elevator after Lex had entered an individual access card, he had a question. "I wouldn't imagine Lois or Perry is happy about you being here. Did they give you a hard time?"

"You could say that," he replied being evasive.

Lex chuckled. "Lois is a bit stubborn and Perry, well, he has this idea about truth and justice or some such foolishness."

Clark didn't know what to say. "Some people," he said and let that hang.

"We're here," Lex announced and stepped off the elevator.

~o~o~

 _Lex's lab, located on the entire ninth floor of the Tower_ :

It was a massive area. Clark was frozen in place. He was hesitant to enter the lab. Lois was right. Who knew what type of virus or another airborne pathogen could be in this place? He hadn't caught anything yet. He made it through grade school, high school, and college without any problems at all. In fact, he hadn't been sick a day of his life.

"Are you coming?" Lex asked realizing what he must be thinking. "Here, put these on, just in case." He handed him protective gear.

"I'm right behind you." After he had pulled on his gear, Clark stepped inside, and there were various scientists wearing lab coats working on something. "What are they working on?" Clark asked. The men were also wearing masks, protective clothing, and gloves.

"A few things we came up with, just a few basic illnesses that affect infants. You see, Superman has been here for thirty-three years and we don't know if he has ever been sick. So, we decided to start in the beginning."

"Do you mean childhood diseases?" Clark asked and frowned.

"Yes, nothing too elaborate, say leukemia, but asthma, cold, or even the flu might affect him, but a cocktail of those viruses that are fairly prevalent in children could be used to make him sick, and he may never recover."

"I don't understand; Superman is invulnerable; he can't be killed."

"But he can be incapacitated. He could be so sick that he can't do anything, but wither and die; hopefully," Lex said.

Again, Clark counted to ten. He supposed he would be doing that a lot during this assignment. "Just show me what you've done so far."

They headed over to one scientist. Lex introduced them. "Alex, show Mr. Kent your findings."

Alex picked up a petri dish and explained. "This virus cocktail was our first attempt. It won't work. Strong antibiotics would kill it instantly. You see our problem, Mr. Kent. We don't know Superman's DNA, even if his blood is, in a way, similar to humans. We're sort of working blind here."

"What if we could get his DNA?" Lex asked.

Clark frowned not liking this conversation. "How would you do that?" He asked.

"We'll find a way," Lex replied firm in his belief.

Minutes later they were interrupted by a phone call from his assistant. He hung up, not happy about it. "Jane says we need to turn on the news. The President has issued an Executive Order, apparently about the alien." Lex sneered and turned on the overhead monitor.

The President's Press Secretary took the podium. "Ladies and gentlemen, I have an Executive Order signed by the President moments ago concerning Superman's apparent involvement with the disappearance of General Zod."

A few murmurs could be heard. Lex turned up the volume. "This is it. Superman is going down." He was actually giddy with excitement.

Clark hid a grin. The Secretary continued.

"Effective immediately, a full pardon for Superman has been signed into law. There is no mystery; Superman killed General Zod during a battle over Metropolis. The President has been aware of this development from the beginning. Superman has saved countless lives since he revealed himself months ago. If there was a debt, it has been paid in full. Therefore, he will not be arrested nor will there be a trial. The President, as well as the entire Planet, was on high alert when General Zod made his ultimatum when he first arrived on this Planet. As soon as the world engines began their assault, his intentions were made clear. Therefore, Superman has been pardoned and it has been accepted. There will be no retaliation or extortion against him of any kind.

~If there are any questions, please consult the Press Release distributed before this conference. Thank you all for coming." He left the podium.

Lex was so shocked, his jaw was slack, but then it worked as if he wanted to say something, but nothing was coming out.

Alex was worried. "Mr. Luthor?" When he was silent like this, who knew what he was thinking or planning. The other scientists had stopped working during the whole announcement. No one said a word.

Clark wondered how this would affect Luthor's plans to destroy Superman. Would he stop this insanity or not?

Someone switched off the monitor. Lex snapped out of it. "Now, as I was saying."

Alex was confused. "But the President said," he started not feeling right about all of this.

"I don't care what he said. Superman needs to stop."

Clark stiffened. There must be something he could say to stop this. "But Mr. Luthor, surely you can't go ahead with this. I mean," he stopped when Lex turned to him.

"And give me one good reason why I shouldn't. Superman can commit murder and the President gives him a free pass."

"That's not exactly what happened," Alex said which got a glare from his boss.

"You answer to me. Now get to work on those viruses. I will get his DNA; count on it." He turned on his heel and walked out. "Come with me Kent."

Clark followed him.

Once back in his office, Lex was pacing back and forth. He got an idea. "So you're a doctor?"

"Well, no, not officially," Clark replied and wondered what he was thinking.

"There are other ways to get DNA, like saliva, hair, sweat, and even tears."

Clark frowned. "Yes, that's true. What are you thinking?"

"Superman must have a home somewhere. I mean, he isn't flying around all the time. Even I've noticed that. Where does he go all day; what is he doing half the day?" Lex was thoughtful.

"Good questions, Mr. Luthor."

"Please call me Lex, and may I call you Clark?"

Clark cleared his throat. "Of course, Mr. I mean Lex."

Lex chuckled. "You're a strange one, Kent. Where are you from?"

"It's a small town in the mid-west; you wouldn't know the name."

"You're probably right." He paced again. "I've been working on a few things and ever since that fiasco with Rourke, well, maybe I could come up with a way to track Superman, you know his movements. I would take some time to calibrate a drone, but it may work."

"And then what?" Clark asked getting extremely worried.

"We find out where he goes most of the day, where he spends most of this time, and then we can get his DNA from his hair probably. A hair follicle would definitely do the trick."

"Yes, hair would definitely work," Clark felt the need to say.

"Excellent." Lex watched him closely. "You know, Clark, I kind of feel bad for you."

He frowned. "Why?"

"I mean, Lois is obviously smitten with the alien and sorry to bring this up, but how do you handle that? It made me a bit crazy to think well, maybe her and him?" He let that hang.

Not that again, he thought. "No, Superman is just a friend; that's it."

"If you say so," Lex said and shrugged, not believing him.

"I do say so," Clark said firmly and reined in his temper.

"It was just a thought; no hard feelings." He returned to his desk. "I think we moved forward today. It's been weeks since we started the virus project, but we'll put that on hold for now. Once we acquire his DNA, then we'll go from there. As soon as the drones can be calibrated, I'll be in touch." He stood up to shake his hand.

Clark stood up, but hesitated but only for a moment. "I'll look forward to it."

Once in the elevator, Clark felt as if he might be sick to his stomach. At least he knew now what he was up against. And once Lois's Father knew what Lex was up to, they would put a stop to it.

He truly hoped so.

~o~o~

 _Meanwhile, back at the Planet_ :

Lois was at her desk, hoping to concentrate on her story. Her phone rang. "Lois Lane, Daily Planet."

"Hi, Lois, how are you?" Sam asked.

Lois picked up on something. He rarely called her by her full name. "I'm doing alright, considering." Silence for a moment. "Daddy, what's wrong? I saw the White House news conference."

"It's nothing to do with that, not directly, but I just found out something. I'm in shock."

"What is it, Daddy? Is it about Superman?"

He sighed heavily. "General Zod's body was not cremated. They kept it to experiment on him. I'm sick about this."

Lois was stunned. "And you knew nothing about this?"

"No, I had no idea. If I did, believe me, I would have told you about it sooner."

"I can't believe this."

"I'm sorry, sweetie, but I thought you should know. I wish I could stop it, but it's out of my hands."

"I understand Daddy, but what am I supposed to say to Superman? The President's pardon may seem like some type of deal to him."

"I don't think he'll feel that way," Sam thoughtfully said.

"I hope you're right Daddy. You know I had a difficult time convincing him to accept it in the first place."

"I'm sorry sweetie." He said it again.

"Bye, Daddy." She hung up and looked up and Clark walked in.

How could she tell him about this? But he had to know. "Lois, I." He was upset, but she also looked as if she had lost a friend. "What is it?"

"We need to talk." She glanced at her watch and it was almost quitting time. "Give me a minute to finish this, and then we'll leave."

"Alright, let me check on a few things first." He went to his desk and logged on. There were a few messages from Lex updating him on the virus and drone projects. He felt like gagging, but he had no choice now. He had to stop Luthor and this was the only way.

After a little while, they left the office for the day.

~o~o~

_Lois' apartment, a little while later:_

Once inside, Lois headed straight for the kitchen. Pulling out a wine bottle; she held it up her meaning clear.

"No thanks, I need a clear head."

"Does liquor affect you?"

"No, not as far as I know. I've never needed to get drunk."

"Clark, I'm not getting drunk; it's just a glass of wine."

He sighed; he hadn't meant to upset her. "I'm sorry, Lois."

"What are you apologizing for?" She thought about it. "Wait a minute; don't tell me you regret hooking up with Lex."

"We're not hooking up."

"Sorry, wrong choice of words," she said and poured the wine and took a sip. "Let's sit down. You have something on your mind and so do I."

They sat down on the sofa. "Do you want to go first?" Clark asked.

"No, you go first," Lois replied and took another sip.

"Lex…" She interrupted.

Her eyebrows rose. "Oh, it's Lex now?"

"Yes, it's Lex now. He has these scientists working on a virus cocktail to infect me and he's also working on a drone to follow me around to get my DNA."

"Good Lord, I can't believe him. He's going to ignore a Presidential Executive Order. Sounds like something he would do."

"There's more; he told me that he owns this building and that's how he got access to your apartment."

"Wow, I didn't know that. The management company never said a word."

"Are you going to move?" He thought about it. "I know, you could move in with me. I have two bedrooms in case my Mom visits; I could cook for you; you could have an office and." He stopped at her expression.

"Whoa, slow down Mr. Move in with Me, Kent."

He bowed his head. "Sorry, I got a bit carried away."

She put the glass down and went into his arms. "Now, ask me again."

He clutched her to him tightly. "Would you like to move in with me, Ms. Lane? I'm an excellent cook. We could share expenses, share a ride to work and."

"Clark, we already share a ride to work," she said and giggled.

"What about the cooking part? You wouldn't have to lift a finger."

"Ummm, that is tempting."

"Will you at least think about it?"

"Of course I will." She pulled away and now for the truth. "My turn."

He braced himself. "Go ahead."

"Daddy called."

"What is it now?"

"General Zod wasn't destroyed. He's being experimented on."

He should have been shocked, but he wasn't. "I'm not surprised."

"It's awful, but Daddy had nothing to do with it."

"I believe you, honey."

"It's strange that the President would give that Order and then keep Zod's body to do God knows what to him." Lois was getting worked up.

"Lois don't worry about it."

"How can you say that? If Zod's DNA is being used in some nefarious way, we need to stop it."

"Lois, there's something you should know about Zod."

She frowned. "What should I know?"

"He came here to get the Codex." At her frown he continued. "The Codex is embedded within me. My Kryptonian father placed it inside me before I was sent here."

"Oh my god, so that's why he attacked us and tried to kill you?"

"Yes, that's the reason for all of this. I feel sometimes as if all of this was my entire fault; if I had just died, then…"

"Good lord, Clark, please don't talk that way. General Zod was intent on killing everyone not just you. You did the right thing, but now we have to stop those tests."

"But how; how can we stop it?"

She thought about it for a moment. "Well, the power of the press, maybe, I don't know; write an article; tell the world. Let public opinion have its way with this mess."

"But Lois, if we write an article, Lex will know about Zod's DNA. It's not mine, but it may as well be mine."

"I forgot about that. Dammit, Luthor!"

He touched her shoulder. "You're right; Luthor is the one who needs to be stopped. He's the key, not Zod," Clark said sure in his assessment of the situation.

She sighed and went into his arms. "You're right, of course."

He pulled her close under his chin. "Don't you just love our life?" He chuckled hoping to make light of their crazy life.

She smiled, but then it got the better of her. She sniffed.

He squeezed her tighter. "Honey, we will work this out. Please don't worry."

She pulled away, wiped the corner of her eye, but she had made a decision. "I'll give notice tomorrow."

Smiling, he then lifted her chin, leaned down and kissed her deeply, slanting his lips across hers.

Lois sighed and kissed him back, her hands in his hair, moaning when his tongue met hers in joyful reunion.

~o~o~

Moments later, before things had gone too far, there was a knock at the door. "Lo, are you home?"

"Daddy?!" Lois jumped up, and silently pointed Clark toward the bedroom. Clark wondered if her Father knew the truth about him.

"I'm coming!" She straightened her blouse, which had come undone. She opened the door. "What a surprise!"

"Hi, sweetie, sorry to come by without calling, but I had to talk to you about something that's been bothering me."

"Come in, please." He sat down. "Do you want a glass of wine or?"

"Wine is fine, thanks, honey."

Once they were both seated, Lois was beginning to worry. "What is it?"

"It's about Superman."

She frowned. "What about him?"

"Are you involved with him?"

She was stunned for a moment. "What; no, you know about Clark and me. I told you about him."

"I know, but."

"Daddy there is no but. Clark and I are in a serious relationship."

"But you do care for Superman, don't you?"

"Daddy, everyone cares about him." She paused to gather her thoughts. "He's brave, humble, selfless, and he's a decent person."

"All the things you've been searching for." He cocked his head to the side. "He's not unattractive." He sipped his drink not looking at her.

"He's more than just a handsome face; you know me better than that."

He sighed. "I'm sorry, Lo, but I had to know. There's a lot going on with him, with the President, General Zod and."

She took his hand. "Daddy, look, we're just friends; that's all."

Sam was so relieved. "You've eased my mind, sweetie." He kissed her cheek. "I'll say goodnight and thanks for the wine."

"Goodnight, Daddy." She escorted him out.

After she had shut the door, Clark came out with his hands on hips. "What was that all about? Why did you think it was necessary for me to hide from your Father?"

"You don't want to know." She picked up her glass and headed to the kitchen to get more wine.

He followed her. "What do you mean exactly?"

She topped off her glass. "Daddy is very overprotective." He frowned. "I'll introduce you soon, but just not right now."

Clark was confused. "But why not; he knows about us?"

"Clark, my Father is a Four-Star General in the United States Army. I don't think I need to say anymore." She raised an eyebrow.

Clark cleared his throat. She did have a point. _There truly is no rush_.

She raised her glass, gave him a 'see what I mean' glance then downed her drink in one gulp. She poured another.

_Getting drunk does have its appeal._

TBC!

~o~o~

Song Inspiration: _Fire We Make_ , Alicia Keys ft. Maxwell.

A/N: *giggles* Well, the Clark and Lex scene played out Ok, I think. Although you could look at it with a bit of humor, but I wanted to make it clear that it is a dangerous situation, hence Clark and Lois' disagreement about him spying on Lex. I could see Lois' point, but Clark had a valid point too. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Now tell me what you think. Thanks for reading everyone. Reviews/kudos is love.


	10. Knocked Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lot going on in this next chapter: General Lane's motives are revealed; Lois goes snooping and gets a shock, and later, Dr. Klein has surprising news concerning General Zod's DNA. Please read and review. Thank you. :D

_Chapter 10: Knocked Down_

_That same evening in a secure area of the base:_

General Samuel Lane, a career soldier, father to two beautiful and headstrong daughters, had managed to rise in the ranks of the U.S. Army to a four-star General. He was very proud of his rank, but at this very moment, he felt like the lowest of low. He had lied to his daughter to make sure she was not involved with Superman. He had to do it. The President had made a mistake. Superman was not a hero; he was a threat to the safety and security of this country.

He walked into the lab that contained the corpse of General Zod. Dr. Bernard Klein was on his staff, and after a lot of stern convincing, Dr. Klein was now on the right side, at least he thought he was.

Bernard looked up from this microscope when General Lane walked in. "I could make a career out of my findings. He's extraordinary."

"He's also dead," General Lane stated the obvious.

"Yes, he is, but Superman is alive. We should rejoice that he was here to save us, not dead. We would not be here if not for him. This is wrong; we shouldn't have done this."

"You say that, Dr. Klein, but your face says something entirely different." Bernard frowned at that remark. "Now, listen and listen carefully, Superman is a menace and a threat, and do you know why?"

"No, but I'm sure you'll tell me."

"Because he can't be trusted and he cannot be controlled."

"General Lane, do I need to remind you of the President's Order the other day?"

"Well, if you ask me, it was vague. It didn't say anything particular. It didn't say don't kill him. All it said was 'no retaliation or extortion of any kind.' Exactly, what does that mean?"

"I don't need to explain it to you. You know exactly what it meant. Superman should be left alone. Let him do what he was meant to do, and that's all."

"I'm done talking about this. Just tell me about Zod's DNA. Can Superman be brought down?"

Bernard wasn't convinced they were doing the right thing. "No, nothing yet," he lied.

Sam watched him closely. "Call me if you find anything." He left him alone.

After he had left, Bernard went into his office and called Lois Lane.

Still inside the secure area, General Lane turned a corner and almost ran into General Swanwick. They saluted each other.

"Sam, what are you doing down here and," he turned the corner to see where he had come from, "What's behind that door?"

"John, can we speak privately?" Sam asked and headed to his office.

After glancing at the door again, he followed him. Once inside his office, Sam told him the truth.

John was so stunned he couldn't speak for a moment. "On whose authority are you doing this? It can't be the President, especially after he released his Executive Order."

"No, it's not the President." Sam walked over to the window and looked up at the sky. "I believe he's wrong."

"Sam, if you're caught, you could be bumped down to private. General Zod should have been destroyed months ago, and now you're conducting experiments on him?" John was still in shock.

Sam turned from the window. "Just let me explain."

"There are no explanations." He stood up straighter. "I am the highest ranking officer on this base, and General Zod will be destroyed. Now get it done." They saluted each other and then he walked out.

Sam was fuming. He headed back to the lab. _There must be something I can use to destroy the alien_.

~o~o~

 _Lois' apartment early the next morning_ :

Lois slowly opened her eyes but the light from the window blinded her. "What time is it?" Her head was pounding. Groaning, she covered her aching head with a pillow. Her mouth felt like it was full of cotton.

Clark shook his head as he came back into the bedroom, a towel around his hips with his hands behind his back. "It's time to get up. You have one hour exactly to get ready for work."

"An hour?" She groaned again. "I'm not going to make it."

"What was that? I didn't hear you," he asked and grinned at her discomfort.

Lifting the pillow, she narrowed her eyes. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"Only a little," he replied and grinned again. He came prepared. "Here, drink this."

Pushing her hair out of her eyes, she slowly sat up and frowned at the pale yellow liquid in a glass. "What is this?"

If he told her what was inside, she wouldn't drink it. "Just drink it."

She frowned, took it from him then sniffed. "I smell eggs, lemons and what else is in this?" She wrinkled her nose and swallowed with difficulty.

"A little thyme, honey, and," he didn't finish. She covered her mouth.

The drink barely made it to the nightstand then she flew into the bathroom and emptied her stomach into the toilet.

Clark was there with a cold compress for her forehead. Pulling her hair away from her face, he waited for it to pass.

A few minutes later, it was over. She sat back on her heels and leaned against his warmth. "Why did I get drunk?"

He wiped her forehead. "You were worried about us, and you needed a diversion."

"I guess so." Every time she did this to herself, she promised that she wouldn't do it again, but there she was on the floor emptying her stomach.

"What are you thinking?" He asked and stroked her hair.

"I think it's different this time. You're here."

"I was happy to help, but you still need to drink this."

Sitting up straighter, she took it, held her nose, and emptied the glass. "Argh, that was disgusting."

"It will help." He stood up, and helped her to stand. Then she brushed her teeth and rinsed out her mouth. "Feeling better?"

"Yeah, much better," she replied. "Thank you, Clark."

"You're welcome, now hold still," he said then picked up a brush and brushed her hair. Lois closed her eyes and let him take care of her. It was a new experience for her. Ever since her Mom had passed, no one else had brushed her hair not even her Father. She was becoming emotional.

Clark noticed her expression in the mirror. He put the brush down and pulled her close. "Shush, don't cry."

She sniffed. "I was just thinking about my parents. My Mom would have loved you, but my Father."

"Lois I understand about your Father. They can be strict, inflexible, even impulsive, but he loves you. That much is clear, and he's worried."

"I know," she said. Pulling away, she went back into the bedroom. Glancing at the mirror, she whispered, "I look like crap."

"You look fine. Are you going into work today; I can cover for you?"

"No, I'll be alright." She pulled her hair into a ponytail. "I'll be ready in thirty minutes!"

"Now, this I have to see." He twirled and was ready to go in two seconds.

Shaking her head, she said, "You are such a showoff." Grinning, she headed to the shower.

Twenty minutes later, she came in the bedroom and Clark was standing there with a cup of black coffee.

 _How did I get so lucky?_ "I love you so much!"

He chuckled. "I know."

A few minutes later on their way to work, she checked her phone messages and Dr. Klein needed to see her right away. "I wonder what this is about." _No more bad news, I hope._

"What is it?"

"Dr. Klein needs to see me." She checked her watch. "It's early yet. I'll call him and setup a meeting." She made the call he told her it was urgent. He wants to meet away from the base. "That is odd. We should meet with him. He didn't say what it was about."

"Alright, we'll go now," Clark said then they headed to their meeting place.

~o~o~

_A diner on the outskirts of Metropolis:_

Twenty minutes later, Lois and Clark entered a truck stop. They were anxious about meeting him so far out of town. It definitely sent up warning bells that there was something wrong. He was waiting for them when they arrived. He had on a hat, sunglasses, and a trench coat.

Lois and Clark glanced at each other and had to grin, but he seemed apprehensive, glancing out the window and looking around.

They sat down. He took off his glasses and his hat then he frowned when Clark sat down. "Who are you?"

"Dr. Klein, this is Clark Kent; he's my partner." She watched him fidget. "What is going on? Why all of this secrecy?"

"I have bad news," he began.

They both sat up straighter. "What is it?" Lois asked.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Lane, but your Father wants Superman gone."

"What; what are you talking about?"

Under the table, Clark took her hand.

"It was your Father who gave the order about General Zod. He chose me to do the experiments." He bowed his head ashamed and upset.

Lois shook her head unbelieving. "He lied to me. He lied to my face."

"There must be an explanation." Clark was dumbstruck.

"But why did he do it?" Lois barely got out.

"He thinks that Superman is a threat because he can't be trusted or controlled."

Lois was furious and so angry that tears sprang into her eyes. "Superman is not a dog to be led around on a leash. He's a person with a mind of his own."

"I realize that Ms. Lane, and I'm truly sorry about all of this."

"I will talk to him." Lois sat us straighter and wiped a stray tear from her eye.

"I will stall him for as long as I can, but there is something you should know about General Zod and what I've found so far."

"What is it?" Clark asked curiously.

"Superman has been on this Planet for thirty-three years, but General Zod for only a matter of hours."

"And?" Clark prompted.

"Although his super powers seemed stronger in the end, he would have become weaker the longer he stayed here."

"I don't understand," Clark said.

"His immune system was not strong enough to survive here on Earth. It would have failed him eventually. In my opinion, human viruses and pathogens would have taken their toll, and sooner or later, he would have fallen victim to one or another."

"But Superman has never gotten sick, as far as we know," Clark tentatively said.

"Did he tell you that? That is interesting," Bernard stated intrigued.

"Yes, as far we know, he has never gotten sick." Lois confirmed it.

"Well, Superman was an infant when he arrived here, not an adult, so the fact that he was raised on this Planet, his immune system is stronger enabling him to reject any known illness or virus."

"But doctor, there are always unknown viruses and illnesses that come out all the time. Is it possible he could get sick at some point?" Lois asked, needing to know.

"Please call me Bernard." He tried to smile. "In theory, yes, but I don't think it's likely," he replied.

"But you're not sure," Lois stated, becoming anxious.

"No, the medical profession changes every day and we try to keep up as much as possible. It's all we can do."

"I see," Lois said feeling sad about all of this. Clark squeezed her hand.

"I should get back now. I'll be in touch," Bernard said then put his glasses and hat back on.

They all stood up. "Thank you, Dr. Klein, I mean, Bernard," Clark said and shook his hand.

Bernard stared at him closely. _That's insane_ , he thought.

They went their separate ways.

~o~o~

On the drive back to Metropolis, Clark had something on his mind. "Do you know what this means?" He asked his eyes on the road.

Lois was thinking of her Father. "All I know is that my own Father can't be trusted."

He sighed. "I'm sorry, Lois; it appears that's true, but I was thinking about Zod and his followers; the fact that they would have died eventually and."

"But we had no way of knowing that. All any of us knew was that Zod was intent on killing all of us. And Bernard didn't say definitely that they were going to die."

"I know; you're right." She took his hand.

"Let's just find out exactly what my Father's intentions are then we'll go from there."

"He wants me dead, Lois; the same as Luthor," he whispered disappointed and unhappy.

Lois didn't say anything. Inside she wanted to scream at the heavens for putting them in this situation. _We will handle this; I know we will_.

~o~o~

 _The Daily Planet bullpen, later that morning_ :

It was pretty quiet in the office this morning. Lois and Clark noticed the monitor was turned to a major cable news channel. This particular channel was not much of a fan of the President. They were coming up with all kinds of debates about why Superman got a free pass for killing someone.

Lois glanced at her partner. He was stiff and not saying anything.

"Good morning!" Perry greeted them. "Turn that thing off!" He ordered. The channel was turned to another more liberal station. "You don't look so good," he said and noticed Lois' eyes were red.

"She's just tired. We were up late last night talking about Luthor."

"I see, well, no news conference from him yet. I can't imagine he's happy about Superman's pardon."

"Oh, he was furious, alright. I was there when the conference began," Clark said.

Perry chuckled. "I would have given my right arm to see his reaction."

"Let's just say he was not happy about it at all, but he's even more determined to get rid of Superman."

"Come into my office. I want to hear all the details," Perry said and headed to his office.

Clark stepped that way, but Lois was still. "Are you coming?"

"No, I can't hear it again. Luthor and." She swallowed. "He wants him dead; that's all he wants, but I can't let that happen." She was also thinking of her Father.

"Lois?" He touched her shoulder.

"You go ahead; I'll just go over here and get some work done."

He understood; he squeezed her shoulder to give her some comfort. "Alright; this won't take long."

She watched him for a minute, sat down at her desk and pulled up LexCorp's website. She didn't know what she was looking for, but she had to do something; anything to stop him.

But she had to call her Father, but she couldn't reach him. Apparently, he was in meetings all day, but she would see him soon and give him a piece of her mind.

~o~o~

_Meanwhile, in Perry's office:_

Once Clark had filled Perry in on all the details about Luthor's plot, Perry was totally shocked by what he was planning. "Biological weapons and defense drones; I can't believe he would go that far."

"It's true, Chief, and to tell you the truth, I'm truly worried about Superman. He has no idea what's going on at LexCorp, plus he truly has no one he can trust, well except Lois."

"But what about you? Aren't you two friends?"

"Well, not really; Lois is kind of his human contact. He trusts her more than anyone."

Perry cocked his head to the side. "I admire you, Kent. That's pressure on your relationship, but you and Lois, I can see how much she cares about you and you care about her."

He lowered his head. "I need her Chief. She's my other half. I know that sounds corny, but there isn't anything I wouldn't do for her and if Superman is part of our lives, I can deal with that."

Perry shook his head as he sat down. "As I said, I admire you, Kent."

"Thanks, Chief." He paused for a moment and thought about Luthor's plans. "I will need one more day before I can write my story."

"Of course, but Kent, you need to clear the air between you and Lois."

"I'll do that Chief don't worry."

He was worried. "Have either you or Lois spoken to Superman about your findings?"

"Yes, but he also feels as if more information is needed."

"He may be right." Perry thoughtfully said. They then talked briefly about Clark's article and his deadline.

A few minutes later, he left his office and went in search of Lois, but she was gone.

He asked Jimmy, and Lois told him she would call you later. He thanked him then headed to Luthor's office.

~o~o~

_In Suicide Slum, an unsavory part of town:_

Lois was beginning to worry. "Are you sure you're heading in the right direction?" She asked the cabbie.

"Yeah, it's the address you gave me. Here it is; the Zephrymore Building," he replied. "That's a mouthful."

Pulling out her cellphone, Lois checked the address again, and this was definitely the right place. A few minutes later, she exited the cab, and entered a building that was noted on the website as being a subsidiary of LexCorp, called Thunder Corporation. She had chosen this place because it was obviously a front, not like all the other subsidiaries, meaning Lex's name wasn't attached to it. Hopefully, she could come up with proof of his nefarious plans against Superman. It certainly couldn't hurt Clark's article.

She quietly entered the building and the security guard, amazingly, was either asleep, high, drunk or something. While waiting for the elevator, she sent Clark another text in addition to the one sent from the cab. She decided to head straight to the top floor, marked 'Laboratory."

The door was unlocked. It was the middle of the day and there was no one there. Maybe they pulled up shop and moved. The place did look as if they had moved quickly and recently if she were to guess when it appeared empty.

There were documents all over the floor, which seemed as if they weren't concerned about getting caught, or there was nothing to hide. She hoped for the former. Picking up a few of the papers, she read them, but nothing popped out, just a few emails about the move.

Pulling out several drawers from several file cabinets; they were empty. She looked around and noticed a door. She pulled that open and came up short, stunned by what she saw.

~o~o~

 _High over the skies of Metropolis_ :

Superman arrived minutes after Lois had made her way inside the elevator. He watched her avoid the guard, and entered the top floor. Frowning, he noticed that it was empty except for a few pieces of furniture. The exterior of the building was relatively easy, but it was becoming difficult to see the interior.

Sighing and beginning to truly worry, he landed on the rooftop then headed to the lab. "Lois?!"

"I'm in here!" She called back.

He shook his head and came inside. "You shouldn't be here. Did you find something?"

"Do you believe this? Take a look."

Inside was an office, probably belonging to Lex, but the one thing that surprised them were photographs of her and her stories plastered on the walls. She walked over to them and they were stories from when she first came to the Planet, over fifteen years ago. They were both stunned.

"It looks like I'm not the only one he's obsessing over." Clark was barely holding his temper in check.

"You know, Clark, when I was inside the bunker, I asked him why he kidnapped me. It was because of you. He knows how much I mean to you, so he kept me there hoping for," she hesitated.

He frowned. "Hoping for what?"

"That you would show up and rescue me." She turned to him with a thought. "When you entered the building through those upper floors, you didn't leave anything behind, hair follicle or anything?"

"No, of course not."

"Are you sure?"

He frowned. "Lois, my hair is invulnerable just as I am."

"Really, so how do you comb your hair or shave?"

"My hair doesn't grow that fast, so I use heat vision and a mirror to shave, and my hair; well, it just falls into place with a few strokes."

She chuckled and came closer. "A few strokes, you mean, like this?" She stroked his hair away from his forehead. "This curl; I've noticed it before."

He smoothed it away. "It keeps popping out."

"You should leave it out. I like it; it's cute."

"Cute?" He immediately pushed it back from his forehead.

She chuckled again. "Come on, let's go. There's nothing here."

"Are you sure?" He checked the walls and there was something. "Wait, there's an entrance behind that wall." He noticed the hidden latch in an empty bookcase and pushed it. Another door opened.

Meanwhile, in the lobby, a silent alarm awakened the guard. Someone was on the upper floor in the laboratory. He contacted LexCorp security then hurriedly entered the elevator.

Clark heard the guard approach, and elevator was definitely moving. "We have to go. The guard is on his way."

"Dammit! Can you see anything inside that room?"

"No, it must be lined in lead. This is an older building."

"We need to know what's in there."

"We're leaving…NOW!" They hurriedly walked out into the hallway, and then he picked her up and flew up the stairs then up into the clouds.

~o~o~

_Back at LexCorp, later that morning:_

After dropping Lois off at the Planet, Clark changed and headed to LexCorp. He was late. Lex didn't appreciate being kept waiting.

"I'm sorry I'm late, Lex, but Perry had me."

"I don't want to hear it, Clark." He watched him for a moment. "You truly need to get a handle on your girlfriend."

"What do you mean?" Clark played dumbly.

"She was trespassing on private property earlier this morning. Take a look." He pulled up the video feed from the lobby.

"That's odd; I didn't know anything about that."

"Did you know that Superman was with her?" Lex smirked at him.

He pretended to be upset. "No, I didn't know. I can't believe she would do that." His jaw worked.

"You say that they are just friends, but there's more to it," Lex said turning the knife.

"What are you implying?" Clark stiffened pretending to be jealous.

"Look, Clark, I'm not blind, but apparently you are. You refuse to see the truth."

He gritted his teeth. "What truth; they're just friends, and I don't appreciate you bringing this up every time we meet."

"Don't shoot the messenger. The sooner we get rid of him, the better off you'll be."

Fuming inside, Clark was silent.

Lex stood up. "I have to wonder what they were looking for in that old building. It hasn't been occupied in years."

Clark perked up. "How long ago was that?"

"Not long; it was a front for more exciting ventures." Lex replied, distracted.

"What ventures?" Clark asked.

"Nothing too important, it was just a few research projects concerning clones when they were illegal."

"I see, and now they're legal." Clark knew that to be true.

"Yes, they are and," he stopped and stared at him. "Clones are the way of the future. I honestly believe that."

"You're serious?" Clark was a bit stunned.

"Yes, I am." Lex walked over to the balcony. "I would give anything to be able to clone Superman. What an incredible specimen he is."

Clark picked up on something. "You admire him, don't you?"

"Admire is not quite the right word."

"Is _hate_ the right word?" Clark asked entirely serious.

He turned to him. "Maybe."

"Lex, you've made it pretty clear how you feel about him."

"That's true, but I can't help but feel a little jealous of him."

"Because of the things he can do?"

"Not so much that, but the fact that he's above me. I hate that he can fly, that he's invulnerable, and everyone loves him." He took a deep breath. "It should be me that everyone looks up to, not him, and one day when he's gone, everything will be as it should be."

Clark looked down at his lap, pretending to give up. "You may be right. Lois thinks he can do no wrong."

"No one is perfect, Clark, and one day Lois will realize the truth about him. If he can kill, he's capable of anything."

Clark slowly raised his head to look at him. "Deep down, I do have doubts about him, but I trust Lois. She loves me, Clark Kent, not him. He's not human; not one of us."

Lex was relieved. "I see you're coming around to my way of thinking." He decided he could trust him. "I want to show you something. Come with me."

He dialed his assistant and asked her to have his car brought around. Minutes later, they were headed to the exact same address that he and Lois had left hours before.

Clark was thinking. _Now, I'll have the proof I need, but I'll have to move fast in case Lex decides to move whatever is behind that door_.

TBC!

~o~o~

Song Inspiration: _Undertow_ , Sara Bareilles.

A/N: Sorry to end it there, but it appears that Lois and Clark are sinking into this gaping hole of betrayal and deception. General Lane's involvement in Superman's plotted demise has stirred things up. He is an antagonist to Superman in the comics. What did you think of my story of General Zod's DNA? I hope it made sense. Of course, I thought of Martha's description of baby Clark's problems breathing, and Zod's inability to adjust when he first arrived. Thanks for reading everyone. Reviews/kudos is love.


	11. Long Time Coming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this next chapter, Clark gets a surprising ally, and later, Lois and her Father have it out. Let's just hope secrets don't come spilling out! Please read and review. Thank you!:D

_Chapter 11: Long Time Coming_

_The Zephrymore Building, early afternoon:_

After a short drive, Clark and Lex exited the limo and entered a low-rise building and it was the same guard on duty. Lex spoke to him before he could speak.

"Don't say anything, Mike. This is your final warning." He gave him a stern look which would cower a weak mind.

He couldn't look his boss in the eye. "Thank you, Sir."

Clark felt sorry for him. Anyone could fall asleep. They entered the elevator and headed to the top floor.

"What is this place?" Clark wanted to know.

"It's a front; nothing more," Lex replied being evasive.

"I see," Clark murmured not believing it.

They entered the same room that had contained the photos of Lois, but they had been removed, along with all the newspaper articles.

Lex headed over to the bookcase and released the lever and the door opened. Lex stepped inside, but Clark was hesitant. "Don't worry; there are no viruses inside this place."

Clark relaxed. "That's good to know."

Lex shook his head. They went further inside and Clark was shocked by what he saw. "They're empty now, but just a few months ago, they contained clones."

"But where are they now? Are they alive?"

"No, they didn't survive very long." He sounded upset.

"So why keep this place? Why not destroy it?"

"Because, I may need them later on; you see that's my ultimate goal: to clone Superman."

Clark should have been surprised, but he wasn't. "But why clones, Lex?"

"Because when they're clones; I can control them; that's why."

"But we don't need another Superman; one is quite enough," he declared becoming annoyed by his ridiculous plan.

"Don't you see? My Superman would be more powerful and he can defeat him."

Clark shook his head. "It's a complete waste of time and besides it's illegal to clone someone without their knowledge."

Lex immediately thought of his deceased clones. "Superman isn't just anyone; he's an alien and fair game."

Clark was getting even more upset. He counted to ten again. "That's not true, Lex, and besides, I hate to burst your bubble, but the President's Order was clear and besides Superman is invulnerable. I even heard that even his hair is invulnerable."

"Yes, I heard that too, but I can't give up; I can't."

Clark had to stop this now. "Lex, what if you did get his hair? He's an alien, not human. You can't duplicate him. Everything about him is different from us. It's impossible."

"Nothing is impossible." He turned from him and left the lab.

Clark sighed then followed him. He tried again. "Lex, if you're caught and they find out about this place. How will you explain it?"

"If I am caught, you will go down with me."

"Me, but."

"Yes you; you are the only person who knows about this place, and a few of my trusted scientists."

"But I wouldn't do that; I wouldn't betray you," he lied.

"Just make sure that you don't because there may be consequences."

He frowned getting the message. "Are you threatening me?"

"No, it's just a warning."

He immediately thought of Lois and she could be in danger. "I understand."

They left the building. He dropped Clark off at the Planet and Lex headed back to LexCorp.

Back in his office, Lex was beginning to have doubts about trusting Clark. One minute he was all in and the next not so much. Frowning, he pulled up the video feed from the lobby and in the room on the top floor. There were no cameras inside the office or the clone lab. Lois and Superman were in the hall. He watched as he picked her up and flew down the hall. They were definitely involved and no one could tell him anything different. Lex found the entire situation revolting.

~o~o~

 _The Daily Planet bullpen_ :

Once back at the Planet, Clark checked his messages. He frowned when he listened and then the caller revealed his name. Alex Washington, a scientist in Lex's lab, and then it hit him. Clark remembered him, even though he hadn't seen his face. _I know him from Smallville. He knows my secret._

Lois walked over to him. She touched his arm; he jumped out of his skin. "Clark, what's got you so distracted?"

Instead of answering her, he guided her into a conference room. "You won't believe this."

"Now what?"

"I just got a message from Alex Washington. I remember him from Smallville and he works at Lex's lab." At her frown, he continued. "He knows my secret, Lois. He was on the school bus that day." He shook his head. "When Lex introduced us, the name didn't ring any bells, plus he had on a mask that covered his nose and his lower face."

"Don't think the worst. If he called then maybe, he wanted to help you."

"My first thought was yes, he does, now I'm afraid to call him. What if he tries to threaten me or something like that?"

"You've become very jaded since you got here, and I'm worried it's because of me," Lois thoughtfully said.

Clark picked up on something. He touched her shoulder. "Have you reached your Father yet?"

"No, he hasn't returned my calls. I thought of going over there without calling, but."

"You should go and I'll go with you," he said hoping to help in some way.

"I don't think that's wise, Clark. He may recognize you and we can't let that happen; not yet anyway."

"Well, I do change my voice when I'm dressed this way, so he may not. We should try. We don't know what he's doing over there and."

"You're right." She took a deep breath. "First call this Alex guy back and see what he wants. He could ease your mind."

"Ok, I'll call him." He picked up the phone and called him back. It was his cellphone number.

"Alex, this is Clark Kent; I got your message."

"Yes, Mr. Kent, we should meet in private."

He frowned. "What is this about?"

"I'd rather not say. Please meet me after work today. I can't leave now."

"Hold on a minute." He put him on hold. "He wants to meet with me."

"You should go."

"It won't be until later so we can go see your Father first."

"Perfect." She smiled encouraging him.

"Alright, Alex, where should we meet?" He listened for a minute. "I'll be there." He hung up. They left the conference room.

"Let's get this over with; I've already spoken to Perry and he knows what's going on."

They gathered their things. "Was he as shocked as we were when you told him?" Clark asked.

"Yes he was. He found the idea of Zod being experimented on shocking and upsetting."

"Yes it's very upsetting." Clark thought about Zod. "He was misguided, determined to save his people, but his goal of destroying Earth to build New Krypton was not the right way and, unfortunately, he wouldn't relent or stop."

"No, he wouldn't stop until it was way past time for it to end."

"Are you ready?" He asked.

"Yes, and Clark, let me do all the talking."

He frowned. "Alright, but if he insults you or."

"I can take care of myself. He's my Father; I know him, at least I thought I did."

He took her hand; they left the bullpen.

~o~o~

 _A little while later, just outside the base_ :

Lois was having second thoughts about Clark coming with her to see her Father. "I'm been thinking and what I have to say may be difficult for him to hear and for you as well," Lois said.

"Do you want me to listen in or?"

"No, you can drop me off then come and get me in about an hour."

"Lois, I don't know about this. I'm sorry, but I don't trust him."

"I don't either, but he is my Father; he won't hurt me."

He took her hand. "He already has, but are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure."

"Alright, but I don't like this." After gaining access to the base, he dropped her there and headed back to the Planet.

Lois did not have an appointment. She regularly called ahead before coming, but she wanted to catch him off guard if it would help. She walked into his office and his assistant, Helen, was certainly surprised to see her. "Ms. Lane, I wasn't expecting to see you today and General Lane, he."

She interrupted her. "Where is he; is he in his office?"

She stood up. "Yes, but."

Lois walked in unannounced. Sam stood up, but he had officers with him. "Lo, what in the world are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry, Daddy, but." She glanced at the officers. She immediately recognized a few of them from the invasion.

"Gentlemen, we'll continue this later." They left without a word. The door closed. "This is a welcome surprise." He came closer and tried to give her a hug, but she backed up. "Lo?"

Lois got right to the point. "Daddy, I heard something earlier today and I need to hear it from you."

He knew what this was about. "Please have a seat."

She hesitated, and then sat down. She watched him take a seat, but he didn't say anything and he couldn't look at her, which spoke volumes. "Then it's true?"

He raised his sad eyes to her face. "Lo, I had to do it."

The military was fully against Superman in the beginning, but she thought that had changed. "But I don't understand. Were you forced? Were you under orders?"

"No, I wasn't under orders. It was my idea to do it; no one else," he replied firmly.

Lois frowned as she picked up on something. "You sound proud of yourself." She shook her head. "What happened to you?"

"Nothing happened to me." He stood up and walked over to the window. "I shouldn't have to tell you this, but," he hesitated as he turned to her, "The world is not a very safe place. We can't trust anyone."

"I can't believe what I'm hearing. I trust you, Daddy; don't you trust me?" It pained her to ask these questions, but she had to know.

"Of course, I trust you," he quickly replied.

"I don't think you do. If you did, you would trust that I know what I'm doing." She paused to gather her composure. "You can trust Superman; he is not a threat, not to you, to me or anyone else on this Planet."

"You sound so sure." He thought about it. "How many times have I told myself that you were not involved with him? You told me to my face that it wasn't true." He shook his head. "But I know it's true; isn't it?" He had to know. "Are you sleeping with him?"

Lois closed her eyes for a moment then she stood up. "Daddy, you have to listen to me."

"No, you listen. If you're sleeping with him, you can forget about you and me. I can't even fathom it. It made me sick to even think it."

She gritted her teeth then tried another tactic to get through to him. "Daddy, who I sleep with, is not your concern; not anymore." She came closer. "Daddy, now listen to me, please."

He was still. "Go on."

"I'm going to tell you something and because I still trust you, I would hope you won't tell anyone else." She stared at him closely. "You have to promise me."

He frowned. "Alright, I promise."

"Superman is not alone in this world."

"What are you saying?" Then he thought about it. "Are there other Kryptonians out there?"

"No, that's not what I meant. He has a family; a family that raised him to adulthood."

"I can't believe this. He's an alien, and."

"That's true, but you seem to forget that he's been on this Planet for over thirty-three years. Did you forget that? He didn't just show up out of the blue. He arrived here as a baby; unable to walk, to feed himself, or even to think for himself." She came ever closer and touched his arm. He seemed to understand then she tried one more thing to get through to him. "Do you remember what it felt like to mourn my Mother?"

Sam was stunned for a moment. "Of course, I remember, but what does that have to do with?"

"A lot of people would mourn him if he died, Daddy, a lot of people; me included." Her eyes watered. "Do I understand what I'm saying?"

Sam understood. "You love him." He couldn't believe it.

Lois couldn't deny it. "Yes, I love what he brings out in all of us. I love what he stands for; what he believes in; our potential for good, and our hope for the future." She paused for a moment. "I know it seems as if humankind has given up on those things, but I haven't given up, and I know you haven't either."

She was right. "Oh, Lo," he whispered and pulled her close. "Of course, I still believe all of it."

Lois was so relieved; she pulled him closer. After a minute, she pulled away. "The tests must end."

Sam believed her and he trusted her. "Well, I think we can do that."

Lois brightened. "You think?"

"Actually, the men who were just here; I just ordered them to destroy Zod. It will happen first thing tomorrow." He grinned at her; she was smiling from ear to ear. He hadn't seen her like this in a very long time.

"Oh, Daddy, thank you." She threw her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek.

He decided to tell her the truth. "Lo, General Swanwick found out about the tests and he insisted that they be stopped." He hung his head.

"I see, but," she hesitated. "Look at me, Daddy." He raised his eyes to her face. "You do know that it was the right thing to do, don't you?"

"Yes, I do know that," he replied firm in his answer.

Lois was relieved then she had a question. "What about the results of the tests? What will happen with those?"

"Well, according to Dr. Klein, General Swanwick will receive all of the test results." She seemed pleased with that reply then he continued. "Now, I'm ready."

Lois frowned. "Ready for what?"

"I'm ready to meet this mystery man, Clark Kent."

Lois was a bit thrown. "Well, I don't know; not just yet."

"But why not; I know you care for him? I saw those photos from the Planet in the gossip section."

Lois was entirely surprised. "You actually read that stuff?"

Now, he looked sheepish. "I read all of it. You do work there after all." He grinned.

"Yeah, I do, and thank you."

"Well, how about you setup dinner and I'll come over?"

"Ok, in a few weeks. I'm moving and," she started and inwardly kicked herself for blurting that out.

"Moving where?"

"A larger place, two bedrooms; I need an office and," she stopped; he looked upset. "I'll call you once I'm settled."

"Fair enough;" he replied then he had a question. "He's not afraid to meet me; is he?"

"Daddy, you can be intimidating, and Clark can be a little shy."

"He's shy?" He chuckled. "And you two get along?"

Lois felt affronted. "I'm a good girl when I want to be."

He chuckled again then he sobered. "I've missed you, Lo."

"I've missed you too." They headed to the door.

She turned to him. "We will do dinner, very soon now," she promised him.

He grinned. "I'll look forward to it."

She gave him a hug then she was gone.

~o~o~

 _A night club in Suicide Slum_ :

Clark checked the address again. "This can't be the right place," he muttered. He opened the door of an obviously shady night club. It was late afternoon and there were very few customers at the bar, but a few women were performing on poles. His eyes bugged out of his head. It was a strip club. The women weren't completely naked, but they may as well be. He cleared his throat and searched for Alex. He found him in a corner of the club in a booth. Clark sat down.

Alex grinned at his clear discomfort. "Before you ask, I chose this place because it's discreet; at least, that is what I've heard, and besides, my wife wouldn't approve."

He grinned. "You're probably right," Clark said and watched him closely. "I can't believe it's you."

"It's me alright." He lowered his voice. "Clark, if you're wondering, I don't want anything from you. I think what you've done as Superman is amazing and I wanted to help you."

"How long have you been working for Luthor?"

"Not long, about three months," he replied. "Clark, I can help you with your story. Luthor needs to be stopped. The drones will be calibrated in about a week, and the virus cocktail is nearly done. Several relatively recent flu viruses were identified and they're very powerful."

"I see." Clark was getting upset.

"He won't getaway with it. There are laws against what he's planning. Superman should not be threatened by him or anyone else. The President's pardon was clear on this matter."

Clark shook his head feeling as if he won't be able to get through to Lex. "Not according to Luthor."

"Luthor cares for no one, well except Ms. Lane. He's thoroughly obsessed with her." He watched him stiffen. "I'm gathering evidence against him every day. It shouldn't be long now."

Clark didn't know what to say. "Thank you, Alex."

Alex had a question to ask. "I saw the gossip column about you two. Is it serious; if you don't mind my asking?"

"Well, yes, Lois and I will be moving in together next month."

"Congratulations, Clark. That's wonderful news. I'm happy for you."

He stared at him. "You've changed Alex."

Alex was one of the boys who had taunted him outside Sullivan's repair shop that day. He bowed his head. "I truly hope so. I wanted to apologize to you, Clark. Kids can be very hurtful."

"Adults can be too, but thanks for saying that."

"You're welcome. You know once all of this is over, I would love for you to meet my wife. We have two kids, two boys, seven and three." Like a doting father, he pulled out his wallet.

Clark couldn't help but feel a bit jealous of Alex; he was a doctor and he had a family. He stared at the photographs. His wife was lovely and his two sons; any father would be proud. "They're beautiful."

He took his wallet back. "Clark, I know it's been hard for you, leaving Smallville behind to find yourself, but I think you're great. Everyone does."

Clark was becoming emotional. He truly needed to hear that. "Thank you, Alex."

"Well, I should get back. I'll be in touch." They shook hands. Alex went first, and then Clark left a few minutes later.

~o~o~

_That evening at Lois' apartment:_

After dinner, Lois and Clark were getting ready for bed. During the dinner, they talked about Sam and about Alex.

"So you basically told him about us; I mean you and Superman?" Clark asked.

"Yeah, I was a bit vague, but he got the point. I do love you, Clark, both of you," she replied. She watched him undress then she remembered. His earlier meeting at a strip club and how he was 'unaffected by naked women' put naughty thoughts in her mind. She slowly unbuttoned her blouse. Clark was sitting down his back to her.

"Clark, does this turn you on?" She was standing there in her bra and underwear. She reached behind her, unfastened her bra and slipped it off and held it up for a moment. It fell to the floor.

"Lois?" He whispered and stared at her. He looked her up and down, definitely turned on.

Her panties were slowly slipped down her hips then she stepped out of them. She removed her ponytail and shook her hair free. It fell about her shoulders in the silken wave. "Well?" She shook out her hair again.

He swallowed then he slowly stood up and walked over to her; he had on his boxers. "You truly are something else."

"You're not so bad yourself," she whispered and bit her lip. Then he pulled her to him and they were kissing a bit desperately. Soon they were in bed, kissing and snuggling close.

But before things got too carried away, Clark was still worried. "Lois, this dinner you're planning, I don't know if we should do that."

"He has to meet you eventually, so."

"Alright, we have a few weeks to prepare for that, but I don't think we should tell him the truth about me, after this Lex business is settled and the article comes out."

"Speaking of that, when is your deadline?"

"Perry wasn't specific; he doesn't want to rush it."

"That is odd, but it will be an exclusive, and it is pretty essential. Perry doesn't want any lawsuits or anything."

"Yeah, he told me."

She leaned up on her elbow and stroked his chest then she kissed his cheek. "No more talking; it has been awhile," she whispered softly, and kissed his throat and his ear. "I've missed this."

Clark closed his eyes and pulled her closer. Lois moaned into his mouth and kissed him back. He released her mouth so she could breathe a little. "Humm, I want you too," he said in answer to her passionate kisses.

Soon they were in each other's arms kissing and caressing not able to get close enough with so much emotion and passion; she had to have him. She pulled him to her holding him close. Clark's mouth crashed down on hers as his excitement of being here with her fueled his need to a fever pitch. Heaven must feel like this.

Lois opened her eyes and drank in the dark form that was above her. She felt lost beneath him. He loomed over her. He was so masculine and strong, but he was also gentle, caring and he was hers. He moved on top of her, touching her, and kissing his way down to her breasts. She arched her back and moaned. It felt so good. "Yes, that's it."

"You like that, do you?" She tasted like heaven to him. She was so responsive to his touch. He felt her everywhere he could reach, her beautiful breasts, her arms, her long legs and firm thighs. Her hands were in his hair, on his shoulders, down his arms, and his legs, moving that part of him that was so ready for her. Clark moaned. Lois was touching him. He touched her there, and she nearly flew off the bed.

He had to have her as he entered her warm sheath slowly at first then holding her face in his hands he kissed her passionately, his tongue thrusting in rhythm with his hips. Lois wrapped her arms and legs around him trying to get closer. The pleasure was almost too sweet as he buried his face in her neck and kissed her throat and her ear stimulating her then Lois began to shake and moan. His climax then rocketed through him with a mind-numbing force. Lois screamed his name and he pushed once more and then he let everything go. He collapsed on top of her, his breath coming in short gasps.

After a moment, he rolled to his back taking her with him. He pulled her closer, stroking her hair and arms. Several minutes passed while their breathing returned to normal.

"Wow, that was indescribable," she whispered remembering their earlier encounters. Lois sobered suddenly as she stroked his chest. "I love you, Clark," she whispered her eyes drifting shut.

"I love you too," he whispered back and kissed her forehead. "You know, Lois, I was a little jealous of Alex."

"That's his life, Clark, but you and I, well it may not be in the cards for us to have kids."

He still had hope, but he was thinking of marriage. "We've never truly talked about kids. You're right, but we don't know the future." It wasn't in Clark not to hope.

"That's true, but there is one thing I do know," she whispered and pulled him closer.

"What is it?"

She leaned up to see his face. "You and I are very lucky. We found each other, Clark, and a lot of people will never have what we share." She spoke the truth.

He smoothed her hair behind her ear. "You're right; we've very lucky; very lucky indeed." He leaned down, eyes closed and then he kissed her long, slow and deep.

TBC!

Song Inspiration: _Worth It_ , Whitney Houston.

A/N: This part of the story was tough. I knew what I wanted to say during Lois and her Father's talk, but it was tough to put it down on paper. I hope it rang true for my readers. I honestly can't describe what Lois was feeling (losing a parent early in her life), but I can relate to how strict parent(s) can be, not letting their children grow into responsible adults. In spite of that, Lois and Clark turned out Ok. A quick heads up: You don't want to miss the next chapter! Thanks for reading everyone. Reviews/kudos is love.


	12. All I Need

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is it folks. This is the one. Everything will come into focus after this! Please read and review. Thank you! :D

_Chapter 12: All I Need_

_The next morning at Lois' apartment:_

Lois and Clark were about to leave for work when Lois received an email from Perry. He rarely emailed her.

"Are you ready to go?" Clark asked then he saw her expression. "Is something wrong?"

"I'm not sure. Perry wants me to meet him at the Lexor Hotel, something about Zod, meeting with his source and also what happened at the base."

"Are you still considering writing that article?"

"Well, yes, I think the public should know what happened to Zod," Lois replied.

"But Perry hasn't decided yet; at least I don't think he has. Maybe he needs more information before the story is written, but I still don't think you should write it, plus it may not be in your Father's best interest to tell everyone what he did."

"You're right, but I don't have to mention my Father at all. I'll just state that Zod's body has been destroyed and it has been confirmed and that's it."

"I still don't think you should write it, Lois; talk to your Father first."

He had a point. "Alright, I'll call him after my meeting with Perry."

"My last meeting with Lex is today, and my story is almost done."

"Be careful."

"You too." He kissed her cheek.

She dropped him at LexCorp, and then they went their separate ways.

~o~o~

_Meanwhile, at LexCorp:_

Clark stepped off the elevator and Alex was waiting for him. "Good morning, Mr. Kent. Could you come this way for a moment, please?"

"Of course," Clark replied and followed him back inside the elevator. They traveled two floors down and went into his office.

"We'll be fine in here. I've already checked for listening devices and cameras."

Clark shook his head. "Lex doesn't trust his own staff even though he said the exact opposite."

"It's true, but I won't be here long. I'm resigning."

"I think that's wise," Clark agreed.

"I have to show you something." He unlocked his desk drawer then handed him a flat mailer. "Open it."

"What is it?" He then removed several photographs of Lois. "Where did you get these?" She was walking down the street, in a coffee shop and in front the Planet building.

"Look closer," Alex instructed.

Clark was confused. "What am I looking for?"

Alex sighed. "It's not Ms. Lane. It's a clone."

"A clone; but that's impossible." Then he thought about it. "He cloned Lois? But Lex said that the clones had died."

"He lied to you, Clark. Ms. Lane was the only one that survived."

"I can't believe this; she looks just like her."

"Clark, does Lois have any identifying markings on her body, like a mole or a scar?"

"Yes, Lois has a scar on her hip. I put it there a few months ago when I saved her life." At his frown, he explained how she got the scar. "She and I are the only ones who know about it."

"That's good, Clark, and I may know what Lex is planning." Alex paced for a moment. "I was thinking about the virus cocktail. It was completed last night and maybe Lex thought he could infect the clone and then infect Superman, meaning you."

"But how would he do that? If the clone is infected then," Clark began.

"It will take a day or two for the virus to run its course."

"Is there an antidote just in case?" Clark asked worried about Lois.

"Yes, there is. But if you do become infected, the antidote may work or it may not."

"But you can't stick a needle in me; my skin is invulnerable."

"Somehow, we have to get around that." He watched him closely. "Your powers are derived from the Sun; is that right?" Clark nodded. "Well, if we remove you away from the Sun, you could lose your powers."

"Possibly, or if the Sun were red as it was on my home Planet, then my powers would go away faster and a needle could penetrate my skin."

"A red Sun, yes; we could simulate a red Sun."

"This is all unbelievable." He glanced at the photos again. "I have to go; Lex is waiting. Thanks, Alex." He handed the photographs back and went to see Lex.

Before he went to see him, he called Lois with the distressing news about the clone. He warned her to be safe and to be alert. He also informed her that Lex has obviously stepped up his plans, and they may have to see this through to make sure they had enough evidence against him.

"Clark, I'm not sure what you mean by that, but I will stay alert and keep my eyes open."

"Good girl, and remember, I love you Lois."

"I love you too." She frowned and headed to her meeting with Perry.

~o~o~

_Twenty minutes later, outside the Lexor Hotel:_

Perry was apparently late. Glancing at her watch, she was about to call him when someone touched her shoulder. "Excuse me, Miss?"

She turned and a gentleman she had never seen before asked her for directions. She frowned but answered him. "Yes, the public library is just around that corner," Lois told him then Clark's warning came into her mind.

Then he said something that gave her chills. "Could you show me the way? I'm new to the city."

Suspicious, she replied, "No, I'm sorry, but I'm waiting for someone."

He came closer. She backed up. "I'm that someone, Ms. Lane. Please come with me." He reached inside his jacket. "Please don't scream. It wouldn't be wise."

He stepped behind her and she began to walk. She felt an object at her back. Clark was fast, but not that fast. They turned a corner, entered an alley and he opened the car door. "Get in."

"What do you want? Where are you taking me?"

"Get in, Ms. Lane. I'm not going to harm you." She entered the passenger side of the car. "Now, hand me your phone."

She gave it to him. He placed it inside a box, not far from the entrance of the building. A woman came out and picked up the box. She turned briefly, and Lois was so shocked that she gasped.

The woman had her face. It must be a clone, and she looked exactly like her.

~o~o~

_A little while later at the Planet:_

Lois arrived at the office on time, which was a first for her. "Good morning, everyone," she greeted her co-workers in good spirits.

"You're in a good mood," Cat said as she came over to her. "I would be too if I got to wake up every morning next to that gorgeous boyfriend of yours."

"Not this again. Clark is off limits." Lois gave her a stink-eye.

Cat held up her hands. "Just joking. Geez, what happened to your good mood?" Frowning, Cat left her alone.

"Lois, get in here!" That was Perry.

"Yeah, Chief?" Lois replied, entered his office and took a seat.

"Well, tell me about the meeting at the base?"

She hesitated. "It went well. Everything is fine," she replied appearing unconcerned.

"Fine? Just fine?" He frowned. "What about Zod?"

She shrugged. "Zod is gone. There's nothing to tell."

"Gone; but what about the tests?" Perry asked confused by her demeanor.

A moment, then, "He's dead."

He frowned. She's holding something back. "I see; we'll talk later."

She stood up. "Was there anything else?"

Something wasn't right. He frowned again. "No, I guess that's it."

Once at the door, she turned to him. "When will Clark return?"

"In a few hours, I think."

"Thanks, Chief." She left his office, sat down at her desk and then she sneezed. She blew her nose and wiped it with a tissue.

~o~o~

 _Meanwhile, at LexCorp, Luthor's office_ :

Clark had to gather himself together. What Lex has done was illegal, disgusting and revolting. A clone of his Lois is walking around Metropolis, either pretending to be her or gathering information to be her in his life. He was furious and so upset, he wondered if he could face Lex and not tear him apart.

He entered the suite, greeted his assistant then went inside. Lex was on the balcony. "You're late."

"Sorry, but Lois wasn't feeling well. She's at home," he lied.

Lex turned and walked back inside. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's just the sniffles. She'll be fine in a few days."

His plan was working. "Well, I have good news. The virus cocktail is complete."

"I see, and the drone; how's that going?"

"Not as well as I had hoped. It may take another week. The city is far too quiet; not many rescues."

"Things will pick up."

"We can only hope," Clark felt sick inside. "Lex, I won't be coming back after today. You seem to have everything under control. Superman will get sick eventually and you probably won't need the drones to follow him around after all."

"Yes, he will get sick. My plan will work. I'm sure of it."

"Will you tell me your plan?"

"Not just yet; I have a few loose ends, but then I'll tell you," Lex replied being evasive.

"I see, well, should we head back to the lab? I'm curious about the cocktail and what it contains."

"I'll shoot you an email." Lex was still suspicious. He held out his hand. "Good luck, Clark."

"You too," he felt the need to say, although it pained him to no end.

Clark left his office, but, unfortunately, it wouldn't be the last time he would see him this day.

Once out on the street, he called Lois. He was so relieved when she answered on the first ring. "Lois, where are you?"

"I'm at home; where are you?"

He frowned. "I thought you were at the office."

"Well, Perry gave me the morning off because I'm not feeling well."

He frowned again but thought of her earlier meeting with Perry. He decided to play along. "I see; I'll be home shortly. Bye, Lois."

"Bye, Clark." He stared at the phone.

~o~o~

 _Minutes later, on the rooftop of Lois' apartment building_ :

Clark entered the building, searched her apartment, but she wasn't there. Suddenly, Clark could hear Lois screaming for him. He twirled into his costume and headed to the roof. She was standing on the ledge, and he was immediately suspicious. "Ms. Lane what are you doing up here? Why were you screaming?"

She turned to him then began her speech. "Someone followed me here. I was afraid to go to the apartment so I came here and screamed for you."

"Are you hurt?" He came closer.

"No, I think he ran away." Clark was very suspicious. He x-rayed her and there was no scar.

"You should come down from there and you can tell me what he looked like."

Lois frowned and touched her temple as if in pain. "I'm sorry but I have to do this." Then she jumped off the roof.

Clark cursed, "Dammit." He caught her easily and flew back up to the roof, but before he could put her down she sneezed in his face.

He wiped his mouth and his nose, but it was too late. He released her.

Lois tried to run, but he caught her and took her by the shoulders. "Where's Lois?"

She acted confused. "I'm Lois."

"No, you're not. Where is she?" He shook her.

Lois winced. "You're hurting me."

He released his grip, but only a little, saw Lois's phone, took it from her and placed it inside his cape. "Come with me." He picked her up and took off and headed for LexCorp.

~o~o~

Minutes later, he landed on Lex's balcony at the Tower, then Lex came out, shocked to see them.

Lois was screaming at him. "Put me down!"

"What are you doing here and why is Lois with you?" Lex played innocently.

Clark set her down. "She's not Ms. Lane. I know she's a clone, Lex. Where is she, and you had better tell me NOW!"

The clone sneezed again. Clark was already infected. He needed the antidote quickly, but he had to find Lois first.

"Did you say she's a clone? That is surprising." Lex inwardly smiled.

"I don't have time for this. Ms. Lane had better not be hurt. If she is," he let that hang. He desperately needed to call the authorities, but he had to find Lois and get to the antidote. Clark turned and took off into the sky.

"Father?" Lois came closer.

"What is it?" Lex was already bored.

"I'm hungry," she said and waited for her meal.

Sighing to himself, he said, "Follow me."

Smiling, she followed him inside a side office. He took a box from the shelf and handed it to her. He watched as she opened the box, took out a frog and then she swallowed it whole without chewing. Lex was revolted, but he was also fascinated.

Clark listened and watched them from a distance. He was infuriated and disgusted.

~o~o~

_High over the skies of Metropolis:_

Clark called the police and told them everything, including Lois Lane who may have been kidnapped. He hung up. He expected that the cocktail would take several days before he felt any effects but apparently he had been wrong.

He was getting weaker by the minute, but he had to find her. He searched the entire city in minutes. Then he heard something he'd never heard before. It was a heartbeat; it filtered through his hearing waiting for him to listen and then he saw her. She was walking down the street, but she appeared dazed and confused bumping into people as if she were drunk. Maybe she had been drugged and didn't know where she was.

He slowly dropped down in the front of her. It was definitely her heartbeat. "Ms. Lane?"

She frowned and touched her forehead. "Superman?" He inwardly grinned at her presence of mind to call him that.

"Yes, it's me." He looked her over and it was his Lois. "Come with me; you'll be fine." He picked her up and took her home.

Once he got there, he called Alex and a half-hour later, he arrived with the antidote, but he would have to leave and go his private office on the other side of town.

Clark could barely stand then without being able to help it, he sneezed. Everything within a few feet of him went flying across the room. Alex was knocked to the floor, but he was conscious. Lois fell to the floor, but she was alright.

"I'm so sorry," Clark apologized. His head was splitting, his mouth was dry and he suspected he had a temperature. "I hope everyone had a flu shot."

"Yes I did; I'm alright," Alex said and got up from the floor.

"Me too; you're going to be alright." Lois also stood up. "Alex, I would like to call another doctor. He knows about Zod's DNA and it may be useful," she suggested.

"But does he know Clark's secret?" Alex was certainly worried.

Clark heard the question. "Do you mean Dr. Klein?"

"Yes, I trust him, Clark, and I know you do too."

"Yes, I do, but I don't know." He was getting weaker and weaker. It was getting hard to breathe.

"It's your decision," Lois said.

"Alright, call him," he said then his eyes closed.

Lois shook him. "Clark?" Her eyes watered. Hands shaking, she called Bernard. He picked up on the first ring. Lois quickly explained the situation that Superman was sick and needed immediate medical attention.

"I know where we can take him. STAR Labs is a research facility known for its unique clientele. Don't worry, Lois, he will recover. I'll meet you there," Bernard told her. He then gave her the address.

"Alright, we're on our way." Lois was so worried about Clark's secret, but she trusted Bernard.

They helped him out of his suit and into regular clothing, as not to draw attention, and then down the stairs and into Alex's car. Ten minutes later, they arrived at STAR Labs. It was a huge medical complex encompassing an entire city block. Once inside, Bernard was waiting for them with a gurney. Clark began to moan; dreaming about Lois, meeting her and rescuing her. "Lois?"

She took his hand. "I'm here." She turned to Bernard after he approached them. "Superman is very sick."

"But how is that possible?" Bernard was confused, then he stared at the gentleman on the gurney and was stunned to see Clark Kent obviously in pain. "Then he's?" He couldn't finish.

"Yes; you have to help him. Lex infected him with a virus. Alex has an antidote, but we can't give it to him until he's vulnerable, meaning his powers have to be gone," Lois urgently explained.

Bernard shook his head understanding what was going on. He opened his bag and pulled out a stethoscope and listened to his heartbeat. It was racing. His forehead was hot, burning actually, and his eyes were glazed.

"Come this way," he said. They hurriedly entered an elevator, up several floors then out into a particular area that Bernard had specially ordered for him. They placed a few huge lamps and added red fluorescent bulbs, the strongest bulbs available.

After placing Clark on a bed, and removing his street clothes, they placed him in a hospital gown. The lamps were then turned on. Lois stroked his head with a wet cloth. "He's burning up." The lights were bright, but they had no way of knowing how long it would take before his powers would subside. "Can't we do something to bring down his fever?"

"Ice would definitely help," Alex suggested.

"Yes, it's down the hall. We have to move him," Bernard said. Several orderlies were available to help. The lamps were brought with him.

~o~o~

After placing Clark inside a metal bathtub filled with ice, his temperature came down a few degrees. He was still invulnerable, but the lambs were doing their job. He was sweating profusely now, but he was breathing easier. He sipped water when he was awake, but they had to force liquids down his throat.

A little while later, Lois stepped out into the visitor area conflicted about calling Martha, but she had to know. She decided to wait for a while, but she did call Perry. She told him that they were both sick and it would be a few days before they returned to work.

Perry understood. A few other people had gotten sick with the flu.

"Oh, dear," Lois whispered.

"What was that?" Perry asked.

"Nothing. Is everyone Ok?"

"Yeah, a few people who hadn't gotten their flu shots got sick, but everyone else is fine," Perry replied thankfully.

Lois was extremely relieved. "I'll call when I can," she said and said goodbye. Bernard came out to speak with her.

"How is he?" She asked apprehensively.

"He's awake and he's asking for you."

Lois frowned. "But have you given him the antidote yet?"

"No, he's still invulnerable. We don't know what else to do," Bernard replied.

Lois was so worried. She pulled herself together and went to see him. He was still in the bathtub. Ice was all around him, but he was so hot that it melted minutes after they put it in.

She picked up a cloth and stroked his forehead and gave him some water. He sipped it but was hard for him. She needed to make fun and lighten the mood a bit. "You're all wet, Mr. Kent."

He tried to smile. "Yeah, look at me; I'm a mess."

"You're my mess." She stroked his forehead again, leaned in a kissed it softly. "Don't you dare give into this."

"I won't," he said and closed his eyes briefly.

Her eyes watered. "Think about us, Clark, how strong we are when we're together. Remember?"

"Yeah, you and me against the world, right?"

A tear slid down her cheek. "Yeah, us against the world." His eyes closed. She stroked his forehead again.

Bernard quickly listened to his heartbeat; he was still breathing, but it was difficult for him. "Let's try it now." Alex handed him the antidote. He pressed it against his shoulder and miraculously, it went through the skin.

Lois covered her mouth, so relieved and happy.

"Now we wait," Alex said.

An hour later, Lois could hear Clark and he was thrashing about in the bathtub. He was having a seizure or something.

The doctors rushed over to him. "What's happening?" Lois asked.

"I think he's reacting to the medication," Alex replied.

"Oh, no; do something!" Lois was so worried about him. Tears blurred her vision.

After a minute, he quieted down and went back to sleep. His fever was down almost to his normal temperature, but his heartbeat was entirely too fast.

"We can move him now. His temperature is almost normal." They moved him to a particular area of the hospital. He was clothed in a hospital gown, put to bed and he appeared to be resting. The red lamps were now bright white simulating the Sun.

Lois was exhausted. She'd been there all night, but she couldn't leave him; she couldn't.

Hours later, Lois was awakened by Clark calling to her, "Lois are you here?"

She rushed over to him and took his hand. "I'm here. How are you feeling?"

"Tired and thirsty," he managed to reply. She poured him a glass of water. He took several sips through a straw and rested his head back on the pillow. "Thanks."

She touched his forehead and the fever was definitely down. "You gave us quite a scare."

"Sorry, about that."

"Do you want to tell me what happened?" She asked.

"First, tell me where you were. Did someone take you away?"

She nodded. "Yes, I was waiting for Perry when a man I'd never seen before kidnapped me and took my phone. He blindfolded me and then he gave me a shot. I think it was a few hours later, I found myself outside walking around, and then you found me."

He sighed. "I see. Lex had you taken to keep you quiet. I called you and she told me she was at the apartment. I went there but found her on the roof. She said a man followed her then she came up there to get away from him, then she apologized and jumped off the roof."

"Oh, no, but you saved her?" She grinned.

"Yeah, I saved her, then she sneezed and that was that," he said and tried to smile. "I took her to Lex and of course he denied it. I called the authorities and went looking for you."

"Well, I'm surprised you even got sick. That cocktail must have been very powerful."

"It was but I was thinking maybe there was another reason why I got sick," Clark thoughtfully said.

"What was it?"

"I think it was the Codex that my Father placed inside me when I was a baby."

"But exactly what is the Codex? You never explained it to me. Jor-El must have known it would hurt you but, after meeting him, that doesn't make any sense."

"I know it's confusing." He paused for a moment. "The Codex contains the genetic code of every Kryptonian yet to be born. Over time, it may have weakened by immune system, but I can't be sure about that. As far as Jor-El and what went through his mind; well, he may not have been thinking clearly. I think he was just worried about his people and their future. Zod was thinking the same thing; he wanted to save Krypton at all costs."

"So the Codex was placed inside you to save your people, but they're all gone, aren't they? And if the Codex can't be extracted, then all of this was for nothing?"

"No, it wasn't for nothing, Lois. Earth isn't ready for more Kryptonians, but one day they will." Through it all, Clark's hope always shone through.

"I understand now," she said and watched his eyes close. "You're tired; get some rest; I'll be here when you wake up."

He squeezed her hand and whispered, "Promise?"

"Promise," she replied and kissed him sweetly. Stroking his hair away from his forehead, she watched him go off to sleep.

~o~o~

_Meanwhile, at the police station:_

Lex had been there for hours. His lawyer was with him. James had spoken to the clone, but she had collapsed before he could ask her what she had done. She appeared to be sick, so they took her to the hospital. She was still under police custody, so officers went with her.

James had no defense against the charges. Lex was apparently involved in making a clone but for what reason. Lex told him his version of the truth.

He paced in front of him. "Let me get this straight. Lois Lane was cloned without her knowledge; the real Lois Lane was kidnapped, and the clone infected Superman with a lethal virus in an attempt to kill him. Is that right?"

Lex glared at him. "Yes, that's right. Now, get me out of here."

"First, let me read you the charges: attempted murder; illegal cloning; and to top it off, kidnapping. Does that about cover it?"

"They have no proof of any of it," Lex said believing it. "Now, when can I leave?"

He shook his head at him. "Lex, did you forget that you are on probation?" At his glare, he continued. "Of course, you forgot. Probation isn't just a word; it's a binding contract for your release. Your probation was for two years, and if you break the law in any way during that time, you could go directly to prison." At Lex's shocked expression, he turned the knife. "Lex, if it's proven that you did all of those things, you could be looking at life in prison, especially if you kidnapped Lois Lane and attempted to kill Superman."

"So, I won't be leaving here, will I?" He may be doomed.

"No, you won't." He paused. "Unless I can convince the District Attorney to lower the felony charges which are highly unlikely, you won't be leaving here." James watched him for a minute. "I'll do what I can." Lex was silent. "Do you have anything else to say?"

"I can't stay here. You have to help me James; please." Lex couldn't believe this was happening. His plan was perfect, but something went wrong.

James sighed and turned to go. "I'll see you in the morning."

Lex was taken back to his jail cell. He paced back and forth. His only hope now was his trusted scientists. He had schooled them on what to say to the authorities.

~o~o~

 _The next morning at LexCorp_ :

Detectives Williams and Burns arrived at the Tower to speak to Lex's scientists individually. Each one had the same story. The virus cocktail was researched and developed for protection against General Zod and the Kryptonians if they returned. They knew nothing about the clone. The last scientist needed to be questioned. Dr. Alex Washington was his name. After learning that he had resigned his position earlier that morning, they went looking for him. They caught him after he entered the elevator.

"You're leaving now, Dr. Washington?" Detective Williams asked. He placed his hand inside to stop the elevator.

"Yes, is there a problem? What's going on?" Alex played dumbly.

"We'd like to ask you a few questions. It concerns Lex Luthor and his alleged obsession with Lois Lane," Detective Burns said.

"I see," he said. "We can talk in here." They followed him to his former office.

After everyone had taken a seat, Burns asked a question. "Did you know that Luthor was building an illegal clone, meaning Lois Lane of the Daily Planet?"

Alex took a deep breath. "Yes, I found out several months ago after she was built. However, I had no idea how long she was alive," he replied.

"I see; did you know that a virus cocktail was specially manufactured to kill Superman or to debilitate him in some way?" Burns asked.

"Yes, I knew."

Williams and Burns glanced at each other. "Has Luthor threatened you in any way?" Williams asked.

"Yes, my livelihood here in Metropolis would be restricted if we didn't say what he wanted."

"Dr. Washington, please don't leave town or speak to anyone else concerning this case. Police protection will be available to safeguard you and your family."

He felt relieved. "I understand and thank you."

They then left him alone. Alex immediately pulled out his cellphone and tried to reach Clark Kent.

~o~o~

Lois heard the ringing phone and immediately found Clark's cellphone. Clark was still asleep.

"Hello, Lois Lane here."

"Ms. Lane, this is Dr. Alex Washington."

Lois heard something in his voice. "Yes, Alex is something wrong?"

"The police were just here and I told them the truth about Lex."

Lois glanced at Clark and he was waking up. "Alex, I don't know what to say, but thank you."

"I truly had no choice." He paused. "How is he?"

"He's going to be alright; thanks to you." Lois was becoming emotional.

"I'm happy to hear it. Take care of him, Ok? I'll be in touch."

"I will, and thank you Alex." She hung up.

"What was that about?" Clark asked.

"The police questioned Alex and he told them the truth."

He nodded. "I knew he would." He was certain of it.

She helped him to sit up. After fluffing his pillow, she hopped up and placed her arms around him. "Well, I was worried. I'm sure Lex pressured him to lie, maybe even threatening his family."

"Oh, no, his family; I would hate to see them hurt in some way. I have to get out of this bed." He tried to get up.

He pushed him back down. "Whoa, whoa, you will in a day or so when you're stronger. Your powers haven't returned yet."

He sighed. "I know; you're right."

"It's almost over, Clark. Once your article comes out, then it's over."

"I hope you're right." He pulled her close and kissed her temple, praying for it to be true.

TBC!

~o~o~

Song Inspiration: _Breathe Again_ , Sara Bareilles.

A/N: Clark will recover in time, but Lois' scar changed everything. But I have to say how much I hated the frog-clone. That storyline was upsetting, and just plain weird, but I couldn't resist adding that scene! Laney made me do it!  Now, the Codex hurting Clark, well, I know it was strange, but this particular part of the movie was confusing, either it would hurt him or it wouldn't. For this story, after eliminating green-k, I needed something else, and the Codex came to mind. I decided that it would affect his genetic code and his immune system. I hope the subject comes up in future movies, but it probably won't. Well, I may have a few more chapters! Thanks for reading everyone. Reviews/kudos is love.


	13. First True Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This next chapter will be another sharp left turn. Believe me; I thought long and hard about writing this part, but after what had come before, the circumstances just appeared so here it is. ***Warning, Angst ahead!*** Please read. Thank you! :D

_Chapter 13: First True Love_

_Several hours later at STAR Labs:_

Martha Kent was finally able to book a flight to Metropolis. Lois had called her several hours ago and informed her that Clark had fallen ill, that he was in the hospital, but he was recovering. Martha was confused about the phone call.

She had to wonder why Lois hadn't called her earlier in the day immediately after Clark had gotten sick. On second thought, she supposed that she was probably frantic with worry and wasn't thinking clearly, but other more disturbing thoughts came into her mind.

After gaining access to STAR Labs, she made her way to Clark's room. Quietly opening the door, she peeked inside thinking he must be asleep. He was, but Lois was curled next to him, her arm around him, also asleep. She cocked her head to the side watching them. Grinning at how close they were and how they seemed to fit together, then walked over and touched Lois' shoulder.

She immediately awakened thinking something was wrong, but then Martha was there. "Oh, Martha, I'm so glad you're here," she whispered happy to see her.

"Let's go outside," Martha suggested.

Lois frowned, turned to Clark and he was still asleep. "Alright," she replied. She followed Martha out into the corridor. After sitting down in the visitor area, Lois sensed something. Martha was quiet, not meeting her eyes. "Martha, I'm sorry for not calling you sooner, but it was crazy here since Clark fell ill. He had to be stabilized and out of danger; you understand, don't you?"

Martha closed her eyes for a moment. "I'm trying to understand, Lois, honestly I am."

Lois was starting to worry. "But you don't, do you." It was a statement.

"Just tell me what happened to my Son."

Lois then took a deep breath and told her everything since the last time that they had seen each other, meaning since the asteroid incident. She told her about Lex Luthor's sick obsession with her, Clark's plan to spy on him because he wanted to kill him, about the clone who looked like her, how she had poisoned him, and lastly about losing his powers.

"Clark was undercover and this Lex Luthor cloned you and poisoned my Son? Is that right?" Lois nodded. "One of you should have called me," Martha said very troubled.

Head down, she apologized again. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Kent."

"I can't believe this. Clark almost died and I wasn't here." She pulled herself together. "Have his powers returned?"

Lois felt horrible. "No, I don't think so," she sadly replied.

"You don't know for sure?" Martha asked concerned.

"No, he didn't have them when he fell asleep earlier tonight."

"I see," Martha murmured, thoughtful.

"The doctors aren't sure when he will get them back. Clark is a rare case and." Lois tried to explain.

"I know that, Lois." Martha paused for a moment. "Well, I'm here now; you can go home and rest for a while."

Lois tried to hold it together. "But I promised him that I would be here when he wakes up. I can't leave."

"He's not a child, Lois. He'll understand that you need to rest. I'll explain it to him; Ok?"

It was not Ok. "Alright, I'll leave." Lois stood up then decided that she needed to understand that they were in a serious relationship; it wasn't a fling or anything like that. "Mrs. Kent, I don't know if Clark told you, but we're moving in together in a few days and."

Martha was stunned. "Moving in together? I can't believe it."

Oh, no, Lois thought. "He didn't tell you?" Lois was truly worried now.

Martha stood up. "Lois, I'm sorry, but Clark shouldn't be moving in with anyone, not for a while." At her crestfallen expression, she continued. "You see, you two haven't known each other very long plus you are his first girlfriend and he's very dependent on you."

"But, he asked me to move in with him. If he weren't ready, he wouldn't have asked me."

"That's just my point. I don't think Clark knows what's best for him, but I do."

Lois pressed her lips together, holding her temper in check. "Mrs. Kent, I mean Martha, please understand; Clark and I bring out the best in each other." She paused to gather her composure. "He needs me, and I need him."

Martha sighed. "It won't be for long, just until he can get back on his feet, when he's stronger and he doesn't make any more rash decisions."

"It wasn't a rash decision. Clark and I, we're in love; surely you know that." Lois hated to explain it to her.

"Lois, please, now as I said, you and Clark haven't known each other very long; what, two months now, and I think you should step back and take some time; that's all I'm saying."

Lois realized that Martha's mind was made up and she certainly didn't want to argue with her. They were drawing unwanted attention to their conversation.

"Alright, Mrs. Kent; when he wakes up, just tell him that I'll see him later," Lois murmured then she had to see him just once more. "But I have to get my things." She pointed to Clark's room. Martha nodded.

She slowly opened the door and Clark hadn't awakened. "Oh, Clark, I'm sorry," she whispered devastated then picked up her bag, covered her mouth and ran from the room. Martha refused to meet her eyes.

Once in the elevator, Lois broke down into sobs. "I'm sorry," she whispered over and over again.

~o~o~

 _Clark's room, fifteen minutes later_ :

Clark slowly awakened and reached for her, but she was gone. "Lois?"

"You're awake," Martha said. She went to him and took his hand. "I'm so glad you're alright." She stroked his forehead.

"Mom?" Clark wasn't expecting to see her. He looked around. "I'm glad to see you but where's Lois?"

Martha straightened his bedclothes, not looking at him. "She had to leave to get some rest, but she'll be back."

"Mom, what happened; what aren't you telling me?"

"Son, I asked her to leave," she admitted to her shocked Son.

"I don't understand. Why would you ask her to leave?"

"Clark, you and Lois are moving entirely too fast. She told me about your plans to move in together. I couldn't believe it. You never said a word to me, and now two months later, you're going to be living together?"

Clark was worried about Lois. _What must she be thinking_? He tried to sit up. He felt weak, but he was getting stronger. "I can't believe you said those things to her." He stood up on shaky legs and immediately fell back down. "I have to find her and explain."

"Clark, please lie back down; you're not strong enough," Martha said hoping to reason with him.

Clark realized that she didn't understand about Lois and him, and he began to wonder if she ever would. He slowly walked over to the closet and pulled out his clothes, and placed them on the bed. His powers haven't returned and now he began to worry about that, as well.

"Where do you think you're going? You can't even walk."

He managed to put on his trousers, shoes, shirt, jacket, and lastly his glasses. "I'm leaving. Are you coming with me?" Martha was still. He pulled out his cellphone, dialed her number but Lois wasn't picking up. He silently cursed a blue streak. He left her a message to call him as soon as possible.

"No, I'm not leaving. You should stay in bed." Martha crossed her arms.

"Mom, please don't be stubborn. You can stay at my place."

She relented. "Alright, I'll go."

~o~o~

 _Meanwhile, at Lois' apartment_ :

Lois didn't know who else to call. "Daddy, it's me," Lois said and wiped at her eyes with a tissue.

"Lo, what's wrong? You sound funny."

"I need a place to stay. My things will have to go into storage for a while."

Sam was confused. "What in the world is going on? I thought you were moving into a new place."

"I got the dates mixed up, so I have to move out right away."

"Alright; you can put your things in the basement for now. There's plenty of room down there."

"Thanks, Daddy. The movers were available so they're coming now, but I won't be here. It's not a lot of stuff. Most of my things are already packed. There's a sofa, my flat screen, side chair, a few small tables, my bedroom furniture, my three-piece dining set, and." Rambling a bit, she pulled herself together. "The landlord will let the movers in."

Sam shook his head, not understanding what was really going on. "Where's Kent?"

"He's not feeling well, so I'm taking care of everything myself."

"Alright, sweetie, I'm at the office right now, but I'll see you in a little while."

"Bye, Daddy," Lois said then she hung up. Picking up her two small pieces of luggage, she left the apartment.

~o~o~

Twenty minutes later, Clark shows up at her place but there was no sign of her. Minutes later, the movers came inside, and he was surprised when they just opened the door and walked in. Now, he was totally confused. _Lois doesn't have a key to my place. I was going to give it to her on the day of her move, now everything is a mess._

"Where are you taking Ms. Lane's things?" Clark asked one of the movers.

He frowned and glanced at his associate. "Sorry, but we have strict orders not to reveal the address."

"What?" Clark was stunned.

Martha touched his arm. "Clark, it's better this way."

Clark closed his eyes and sighed. "You still don't get it do you?" He turned on his heel and left.

Martha followed him. They went to his place. Once his Mom was settled, he called Perry.

"No, I haven't seen her." Perry frowned and wondered what was going on. "Lex is in jail, so I'm assuming he's not behind her disappearance."

"No, it's not Luthor," Clark admitted. "Perry, have her call me if she comes in."

"Of course, but I do expect you both in here tomorrow first thing."

"We'll be there, Chief. I'll see you tomorrow." He hung up, so worried. "Where could she be?"

"Clark, I'm sure she'll call you eventually," Martha tried to cheer him up.

Clark frowned as he stared at her. "Mom, I don't know how to explain it to you. You must know what I'm feeling because of Dad."

"Surely you aren't comparing what you feel with what your Father and I shared for over forty years of marriage?"

"But I am comparing it, Mom. Lois and I met quite by accident but it's there between us. Everything that we've been through from the moment we met has blossomed into something I couldn't imagine that I would ever feel in my life. Believe me, watching you and Dad over the years; I know what I'm doing; please trust me alright; I know." He stated firmly. "Now, I have to find her and I hope she'll take me back."

Martha was very moved by his speech, but she wasn't convinced. "Clark, please just take some time and."

"I don't need time, Mom. What I need is Lois, Ok? Please, now I have to go." He left her with a sad but resigned expression on her face.

~o~o~

 _Meanwhile, at the Lane house off base_ :

Lois pulled into the driveway, slowly left the car and pulled her bags from the trunk. Lucy came out to meet her.

She ran to her and gave her a tight squeeze. Lois hugged her back happy to see her. "Lo, it's so good to see you," Lucy said and took one of her bags.

"It's good to see you too. Is Dad home yet?"

"No, but he'll be home later tonight," Lucy replied. She noticed that Lois wasn't looking at her. "So, how long can you stay?" Lois finally looked at her sister. Her face was streaked with tears and her eyes were red.

"Sweetie, what's wrong?" Lucy was worried now.

"I can't talk about it; not right now. I'm sorry." Her vision blurred.

"It's Ok; I'll be here when you're ready to talk." She put her arm around her.

She was truly grateful. "Thanks, Luce."

They went upstairs and Lois went into her old room. It was a nice bedroom, but it wasn't her home; not anymore. Lucy left her alone, but Lois was done with crying. It certainly didn't help anything. But all she could think of was Clark waking up and she wasn't there. No more crying; she told herself her eyes had other ideas. She fell on the bed and cried for what might have been.

Lucy couldn't help but hear her; she was so worried. She called her Father. A half hour later, Sam came home. He couldn't think what or who could have hurt his daughter this way. It must be Superman or was it Clark Kent?

Sam knocked then entered. "Lo?" Lois immediately sat up in bed and wiped at her eyes. "Honey, what's wrong; what happened?" He sat down next to her.

"Daddy, I'm sorry, but I'll be alright in a little while."

"But you came home, and not that I wouldn't love for you to stay, but it must have been pretty serious to just drop everything, leave your apartment, and come here."

"I know it was sudden, but it couldn't be helped," she said and pulled her legs up close to her chest. Closing her eyes, she wrapped her arms around her legs. She wanted to curl into a ball and cry some more.

He frowned. "Did Clark Kent do something to hurt you?"

"No, no, it wasn't him," she replied not looking at him.

"Then it was Superman. I knew it."

"No, Daddy; it wasn't him either," Lois replied and looked him in the eye.

"Then who was it that upset you like this?"

She looked away. "I can't talk about it; I'm sorry."

"Lo, I will find out who did this." He stood up. "I have a few calls to make." He left her alone.

Lois sighed and lay back down. A few hours later, the movers arrived and after placing her things in the basement, she tried to eat dinner, but she couldn't seem to feel the need to eat. "I'm sorry," she apologized and slipping back into her old ways, she asked, "May I be excused?"

Sam frowned. "Of course, and Lo, please stop apologizing," he replied and watched her leave.

"What in the world is going on?" Sam asked his youngest daughter.

"She won't talk to me, Daddy." Lucy replied chewing her food. "I know my sister, and from the few times that she called me, it has to be Clark Kent. She couldn't stop talking about him. It has to be him. Mark my words."

"I think you're right." He thought about it. "Have you met him?"

"No, have you?" Lucy asked.

"No, but that is a telling sign; I must say," Sam replied thoughtfully.

"Not really. Lo has always been pretty private about her personal life." She glanced at her plate.

Tilting his head, he watched her closely. "I know it's because of me, isn't it." It was a statement.

"Well, Daddy, I don't blame her."

He frowned. "Is that why I haven't met any of your 'close' friends?"

"Well, now that you mention it?" She chewed her food, not looking at him.

"It's time I remedied that." He got up, went to the phone and called Clark Kent.

~o~o~

 _At the Planet office, later that evening_ :

After checking up on Alex and his family to be sure they were safe, Clark was at his desk hoping to concentrate on his article and not think about Lois off somewhere worried about them, whether he wanted to pull away from her, which was the farthest thing from his mind. His phone rang; he picked it up. "This is Clark Kent."

"Mr. Kent, there's a call on three; it's General Samuel Lane. He says it's urgent," the receptionist said.

"I'll take it." He took a deep breath and wondered what he could possibly say to explain. It certainly wasn't what he had in mind for his first talk with Lois's Father. Bracing himself, he took the call. "General Lane, Sir; can I help you?"

Sam got right to the point. "You're at the office working, while my daughter is upstairs in her room, crying, and I can't help her. She won't talk to me. Do you know what's going on with her?" He asked, getting upset.

"Yes sir, I do, but it's a complete misunderstanding. I need to see her and try to explain."

"So it was you. I thought it was Superman. She talks about him almost as much as she talks about you," Sam said hoping to understand his daughter and how her mind works.

"Yes, that's true. Please, can I see her?"

Sam glanced at his watch. "It's late and Lo is tired. Call back in the morning." The line went dead.

Clark stared at the phone for a moment then he hung up. He put his head in his hands. "Lois, I'm so sorry."

"Sorry, about what?" Perry asked coming over to him.

Clark sighed. "Lois is upset with me and won't talk to me."

"Oh, no, not again," Perry said and sighed. "What is it this time?"

"She has this idea that we need to slow things down for a while."

"Why would she think that? You two are inseparable. It's kind of embarrassing how close you are, but I think it works; at least I thought it did."

Clark was so unhappy. "I thought so too."

Perry was worried. "You aren't giving up are you?"

He shook his head. "Not a chance, Chief. If it's the last thing I do, I will get her back."

Perry was pleased with that reply then he changed the subject. "How's the article coming?"

"Well, I'll stay the night and finish it. You'll have it first thing tomorrow."

"Great, I'll look forward to it." He watched him for a moment. "Chin up, Kent; I'm pulling for you."

Clark tried to smile. "Thanks, Chief."

~o~o~

 _Very early the next morning_ :

The article was complete and sent off to Perry. Making his way to the roof, Clark watched the sunrise, hoping for that familiar feeling of his powers strengthening his body, his mind, but he'd never experienced being without them before. Since he was nine, he'd always had them. It was strange to feel this way, unable to fly, to not hear the constant noises, and the strength that flowed through his body. But now there he stood with blurred vision as if he needed glasses, and lastly without Lois's heartbeat coming to him like that first time. His vision blurred, but it wasn't from his nearsightedness. He wiped away a stray tear, then slipped his glasses back on.

An hour later, the sun was high in the sky but still no powers. Heading back inside, he knew it was early, so he called the Lane residence. Lois wasn't normally an early riser, but maybe she had reason to stay awake; him maybe? Lucy answered the phone at least he thought it was her. "Ms. Lane, this is Clark Kent. Is your sister awake?"

"Well, if it isn't the infamous Clark Kent," Lucy greeted him stiffly. Her Father had filled her in on why Lois was so upset.

"Is she awake?" Clark asked again.

"I'll check; hold on," Lucy replied. A few minutes later, she came back. "She's not ready to talk to you." Lucy said, but she wanted them to work this out. She didn't understand why, but this one was different. She felt it somehow. "But she did say that she was going into work today."

"She said that, truly?" He sounded hopeful.

"Well, she said that to my Father last night."

Clark understood. "Thank you, Lucy."

"Mr. Kent, my sister is not famous for second chances. That's all I can say."

"I understand. Bye, Lucy," he said and hung up.

~o~o~

 _Back at Clark's apartment_ :

Martha was worried about her Son. His phone rang several times last night, but she didn't answer it. She checked the caller ID and it was the Lane residence. Lois must be at her parent's home. Making a bold move, she called the number not long after Clark had made his call.

"Hello; may I speak to Lois Lane, please?"

"Who's calling?" Lucy asked.

"This is Martha Kent, Clark's mother?" Martha replied.

"Oh, alright, hold on," Lucy replied and went to see Lois. She poked her head in. "Are you awake?"

"What is it now?" Lois asked then covered her head with a pillow.

"Clark's mother is on the phone."

Lois groaned loudly. "Oh no; tell her I'm asleep."

"Are you sure?" Lucy asked. She glanced at her watch. "It's almost nine. Aren't you going into work today?"

"I don't know if I can face him."

"Really; I can't believe you said that." She came over to her and pulled the covers off. "It's time to get up, Lo. Don't tell me you're afraid to face these people. That's not like you."

"No, I'm not afraid; I'm just not ready."

"That's a load of crap. Now get up and get dressed."

She didn't want to fight with her. "Alright, alright," Lois mumbled. _I have to face him sooner or later._

"Good, now are you going to talk to her?"

"Ok, I'll talk to her." She picked up the phone in her room. Taking a deep breath, she said, "Mrs. Kent, this is Lois."

"Hello, Lois." She paused then forged ahead. "Clark didn't come home last night. I'm so worried."

Now Lois was worried too. "But did his powers return?"

"No, they didn't," Martha replied still worried.

"I see, well, I'm sure he's Ok."

"You think so?" Martha had thought all night about what she had done; she had been wrong about everything.

"Yeah, I think so. Did you call the office; maybe he's there?"

"No, I didn't." She paused. "Would you call; he's upset with me?"

Lois brightened. "He's upset?"

"Yes, Lois, he wants to live with you; he loves you and the way I reacted was impulsive, overprotective, and I've slept on it and I was wrong; I admit that."

"I understand. You were worried about us and I've slept on it too, and you were right."

Martha was confused. "Right about what?"

"Moving in together; it is too soon. It was rash so we should step back and take it slow for a while." Her heart constricted with the pain of those words.

Martha was thinking. _What have I done?_ "Lois, now, you should talk to Clark. It's not what he wants; he told me that."

"I have to admit that the past few weeks have been a little crazy, and you were right." She said it again.

Now Martha was truly concerned, but how could she fix this? "I'm coming to see you. Give me the address."

"No, Martha. Clark and I will work this out and besides its too far; over an hour away. I'll call after Clark and I have had a chance to talk; I promise."

"Alright, call me later. Bye, Lois," Martha said.

"Goodbye, Mrs., I mean Martha." Lois hung up. Her vision blurred. "Oh, Clark, why did this happen to us? There has to be a reason."

~o~o~

 _An hour later at the office_ :

Depressed and upset, Clark walked into the bullpen. His head came up when a newscaster came on and Lex Luthor and Superman were the top story:

_This is David Burton of News Channel 9. I'm standing in front of police headquarters where Lex Luthor has spent the night under arrest for multiple charges. According to our sources, Luthor is under investigation for building an illegal clone of Lois Lane of the Daily Planet, kidnapping and attempting to kill Superman with a lethal poison. No one has seen Superman or heard from him since this photo was taken yesterday morning. [A photo is revealed of Superman and Lois Lane on the street not far from the Lexor Hotel.] Ms. Lane has not been seen either. If anyone has any information, please contact the authorities. This is David Burton reporting for News Channel 9. We now return you to our studios._

Clark sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. He had a headache then resisted the urge to sneeze again. Apparently, the poison was still in his system. The news report was very enlightening, but the article would definitely have to go public. Lex should remain in jail.

It was now nearly twenty-four hours since he was exposed and his powers hadn't returned. Lois wasn't speaking to him, but she was coming into the office today. He glanced at his watch and it was nearly ten. Then she walked in. Clark stood up then she walked right past him. "Lois?"

A few of reporters took note of the cool vibes flowing from them. Cat in particular took notice. Of course, she remembered how strangely Lois had acted, and not this? She was definitely intrigued. Were they over?

Smiling, she walked over to him. "Is something wrong Clark? Is Lois giving you a hard time?" She touched his shoulder.

He sat back down. "I'm fine, Cat; thanks for asking."

"Well, if you need a shoulder, I'm available."

"Thanks." He tried to concentrate of what to say to Lois. Cat shrugged her shoulders and went back to her desk.

Clark checked his emails for a few minutes, and there was one marked high importance from Perry saying he needed to speak to him about the article. He walked over to his office and knocked. "Come in." Perry answered the knock.

Lois was sitting there; her hands in her lap. Confused, Clark slowly shut the door. "Lois?"

"Take a seat Kent," Perry instructed. "Now, I'm going to leave you two alone to talk; take as long as you need. I want my writing team at least speaking to each other." Shaking his head, they were both silent then Perry left them alone.

Clark sat down then dived right in. "Lois, you know I don't feel the same way my Mom does. I want us to live together more than anything."

She nodded. "I know you do," Lois said.

"Then, why didn't you take my calls?" He stared at her profile. "We want the same things, don't we?"

She sighed. "I've been thinking and maybe your Mom was right." At his apparent surprise, she turned to him. "Clark, please don't get upset. We can revisit living together later on."

He frowned. "Later on; what does that mean?"

"Maybe a year, I don't know," she replied and stared at her lap.

Instead of getting angry, he strengthened his resolve to fix this. "I can't believe she got to you. I know you don't mean that, Lois, and I'm going to prove it to you."

She glanced at him underneath her lashes. God she wanted him to. "How are you going to do that?" He grinned at her. Lois turned from his knowing smile and tried not to blush.

"You'll see," he whispered. He stood up and walked over to the door. He held it open for her. "Are you ready to get back to work?"

She stood up and came over to him, head held high, she replied, "More than ready."

"After you," he said then he grabbed her and closed the door. He came closer. Lois backed up and hit a wall.

"Clark, what?" He leaned down and Lois was stiff, but then he kissed her. Unable to stop herself, she kissed him back.

After a minute, he pulled away then opened the door. "I meant what I said; remember that." Lois cleared her throat and walked out; he was right behind her. They headed to their desks and got back to work.

Perry watched them from a distance. The air had warmed a bit, but he did have faith in Kent.

~o~o~

 _Later that day, at the police station_ :

James and Lex were having a talk about his defense. Sitting opposite him, he said, "I have news."

"What is it?" Lex asked.

"Superman is missing and the 'Lois Lane clone' died last night," James stated sadly. "I never got a chance to talk to her."

Lex perked up. "Missing you say?" He tried to hide his grin, but couldn't. He leaned back in his chair. "What does it matter about the clone anyway? No one would have believed her."

James shook his head at his evident delight at Superman's disappearance. "What about this?" He dropped Dr. Washington's statement on the table.

Lex was totally surprised as he glanced at it. "He betrayed me?"

"He told the truth; didn't he?" James was sure Lex was guilty.

He pushed the statement back to him. "His side of the story is not the truth."

James sighed. "His statement is not helping our case." He stood up and began to pace. "It's his word against yours. Is there anyone else I should be worried about who could testify against you?"

"No, except," he hesitated.

"Who; who is it?"

Lex frowned, thinking of his earlier suspicions. "Clark Kent; he's a reporter for the Daily Planet."

"He works for the Planet?" James shook his head beginning to put two plus two together. "Why would you be talking to him? You hate those nosey busybodies."

"Never mind," Lex replied, not looking at him.

James leaned forward hands on the table. "Lex, you have to tell me the truth. I can't help you if you don't. Now tell me why were you talking to him."

"Let's just say we have a mutual adversary."

Understanding, James stood up straighter. "Don't tell me, Superman?" He was sure of it.

"Do I have to say it?" Lex raised an eyebrow, his meaning clear.

"Great; just great!" James threw up his hands. "He was playing you, Lex. You must realize that."

"Yeah, he played me alright."

"So, he knows everything? All of it?" James couldn't believe it.

Lex sighed and rubbed his tired eyes. "Yes, he does."

"Then you have a serious problem."

Lex stared at him as thoughts of killing Clark Kent came into his mind.

TBC!

~o~o~

Song Inspiration: _Don't Forget About Us_ , Mariah Carey.

A/N: Some of you may think that Martha's behavior was OOC, but I disagree. As a mother, your first priority is to be there for your child when they're sick. Clark is a grown man, but that instinct never truly goes away. But pulling Lois and Clark apart was difficult to get through. *sniffles* I know what you're thinking: 'Why did you do that to Clois?' I think you get it now, with Lex still plotting against Superman; they're always stronger together. It won't be for long; especially if Clark has anything to say about it. Thanks for reading everyone. Reviews/kudos is love.


	14. My One and Only

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This next chapter finds our couple fighting for both their lives, and not just in the way you may think. ***Warning: Gun Violence; Angst*** Take a deep breath everyone! Please read and review. Thank you! :D

_Chapter 14: My One and Only_

_Luthor's just cause and bail hearing:_

Because of the judge's full schedule, Luthor's hearing was set for mid-afternoon. After the judgment, James took a deep breath and considered Lex to be one lucky man. It was the last thing he expected. The probation contract was iron-clad, but considering Lex's standing in the community, circumstantial evidence, a statement that could be refuted, and the fact that he did indeed have one million in cash, the judge granted bail then gave him a final warning. A little earlier during the hearing, Judge Anderson spoke sternly and succinctly:

"Mr. Luthor, you stand before this court accused of multiple crimes which could land you in prison for up to twenty years. I have decided to grant bail at a cost of one million dollars in cash. This court has found just cause to hold you over for trial. What is your plea?" Judge Anderson asked.

"Not guilty," Lex replied.

"I see," the Judge said. "Bail has been set. The case will be placed on my schedule for one month from today. Your passport will be revoked and you will be wearing an ankle bracelet until that time." He paused. "This is your final warning, Mr. Luthor. Stay out of trouble, or you will find yourself in jail until the trial. Do you understand?" Judge Anderson made his point.

"Yes your Honor," Lex replied.

"Thank you, your Honor," James said.

"This court is adjourned." He banged his gavel.

Once Lex was released, he stepped outside, closed his eyes and breathed the sweet air into his lungs, but he had to know for sure. "Still no sign of Superman?" He asked his attorney, not looking at him.

"No; no one has seen him for nearly two days," James sadly replied. A few minutes later, Lex's limo pulled up. "Before you go, I cannot stress enough that when Superman comes back, you will leave him alone, and that includes Ms. Lane as well."

Lex raised his eyebrows. "Who said he was coming back?"

James shook his head. "Lex please don't do anything stupid. This is your last chance. Don't throw it away."

Lex knew what he had to do. "See you around James."

Unfortunately, Lex's release and judgment would not become public until it was too late.

~o~o~

 _Earlier that day, at the Planet_ :

Lois and Clark were doing a pretty good job of avoiding each other, but Lois thought it best they talk this out. His earlier statement about getting her back remained in her mind.

Clark couldn't take it anymore. Glancing at her, she stood up and Clark did the same. He came over to her; they met halfway.

"We need to talk," Clark was the first to speak.

"Alright," Lois agreed. "Meet me at the elevator." After gathering her things, they entered the elevator. Neither saying a word, but they couldn't resist glancing at each other every now and then. A minute later, they exited the building and started walking.

"Lois, where are we going?"

"Some place quiet where we can talk," Lois replied.

Clark looked up at the sky. It was a beautiful day; the sun was shining bright. He closed his eyes for a moment, still concerned about his powers or non-powers as it were. A few minutes of walking, but then he felt something. Shaking his head, he opened his eyes and he could see through people. He grinned raised his hands and his x-ray vision was definitely back.

He stopped walking and so did she. "Clark, what is it?"

"My eyes; I can see through things, but," he urgently whispered.

"That's good Clark; anything else?"

"No, just the x-ray vision," he whispered, disappointed and still concerned.

"Well, it's a start; come on, let's go in here." She grabbed his arm wanting to get this over with before she changed her mind.

"In here, but isn't this the same restaurant that Lana and my Mom?"

"Yes, Clark, it's the same one. It's fitting, don't you think?"

He frowned and followed her inside. It was still the lunch hour, but just barely. It was definitely quiet. The hostess led them to a quiet area in the back of the restaurant and gave them menus. It was a bit awkward, neither knowing what to say. "Lois?" "Clark?" They spoke at the same time.

"You go first," Clark said.

"Well, it's hard to admit this, but I was thinking about us living together. And I haven't changed my mind. We should wait."

Clark was confused. "Wait for what?"

"We'll know when the time is right. Your Mom is concerned about how much time we're spending together. We neglect our families and friends who are worried about us," she replied and glanced at the menu.

He saw her point, but that wasn't a reason not to see each other. There must be another reason. He knew it wasn't true, but he had to know. "Does this have anything to do with my powers, because they're gone?"

Lois was entirely surprised. She stared at him. "What; you can't be serious."

"I am serious. This is the first time for me and maybe you do feel differently about me."

"That's ridiculous. I told you before how I felt about you with or without your powers." She lowered her voice.

"Then why are you doing this?" He sounded hurt and extremely concerned. He couldn't lose her; he couldn't.

Lois closed her eyes and sighed. But when she opened them, she was distracted when a man walked in. He looked very familiar. He was wearing a baseball hat, hoodie, jeans and a backpack. She remembered him; it was the same man who had kidnapped her, held her captive, and drugged her.

Then everything happened in slow motion. He reached inside his jacket and pulled out a gun. He was aiming for Clark or her; she wasn't sure.

"Lois, what are you staring at?" Clark turned around and before he knew what was happening, shots were fired.

She screamed, "NOOOOOO!" and reacted instinctively to protect him. Jumping up and leaping across the table, she dived into him and tackled him. They fell to the floor jumbled together, arms and legs flying about. One of the bullets found its target, but it was not the right one. The man turned and ran out the door.

"Somebody stop that man!" The waitress screamed. A waiter and several other people ran after him. Officers in the vicinity also took chase.

Back in the restaurant, Clark moved her away. "Lois?" She was bleeding.

"Lois?!" He exclaimed then he screamed. "NOOOO! Call an ambulance!" Lois was unconscious and bleeding from a wound in her shoulder. He quickly pressed his hand against the wound, but then he worried that they might not get there in time. He could hear her heartbeat now, but it was far too faint. "Hold on, just hold on, please!" His eyes watered.

"The ambulance is on its way," a waitress told him.

"She needs medical attention right away." There was no exit wound. The bullet was still inside of her and there was far too much blood.

Clark suddenly realized that all of his powers were back. She needed a doctor right away, so he picked her up headed for the exit.

The waitress tried to stop him. "Sir, please wait for the ambulance."

He didn't reply, left the restaurant, but turned toward an alley was just around the corner. He couldn't spare the time to change, so he ran inside the alley then leaped into the sky, not caring who saw him.

He took her to STAR Labs, a few minutes away, and received immediate attention from the staff. Of course, they remembered him.

Still unconscious, Clark held her hand. Her eyes opened briefly. "Clark?"

"I'm here," Clark whispered softly. Someone touched his back. It was Alex. He was surprised to see him there. Apparently, he worked there now.

"Alex, please, please, you have to help her. She was shot trying to protect me."

"We'll take care of her." They wheeled her upstairs and Clark was right beside her.

"You can't come inside, Clark, please wait out here," Alex said.

"Please, she has to be alright; she has to be," Clark whispered worriedly. He raised his hands and they were covered in blood. He was going to lose it.

The doors closed then he walked over to the door and watched as Lois was taken to the surgical lounge. They continued to work on her for a few minutes to stabilize her, but he couldn't wait anymore. He had to call her family and his Mom. He needed her there with him. A little while later, a nurse helped him to get cleaned up.

Twenty minutes later, his Mom, General Lane, and Lucy arrived and quickly rushed over to him. "How is she?" General Lane asked.

"She's still in surgery," Clark replied. Martha sat down next to him and put her arm around him.

"Clark, what happened?" Martha asked.

Clark thought it best he introduce everyone. "Sir, Ms. Lane, this is my Mother, Martha Kent. Mom, this is General Lane, Lois's Father, and this is Lucy Lane, her sister."

They all nodded, not sure what to say. "So tell us what happened," General Lane said. Everyone was sitting down now.

Clark took a deep breath and told them everything even the fact that the gunman was aiming for him, and then finally who he really was, meaning Superman. Martha gasped. General Lane couldn't believe it, and Lucy was stunned.

"This is not the time for jokes, Mr. Kent." General Lane was not amused.

He removed his glasses and smoothed his hair back in place. "It's not a joke; I'm Superman." He put his glasses back on.

Sam was too stunned to speak. His talks with his daughter came into his mind. Everything she said; it was all because of her love for this man; he knew that now.

"I can't believe this," Lucy said. "Now it all makes sense." She paused. "She adores you and she tried to save you, didn't she?" She asked.

"Yes, she did." He gathered his composure. "My powers were gone and I wasn't sure if they would come back, and she jumped in front of a bullet to save me." He lost it and began to cry.

"Oh, Clark," Martha pulled him close and let him cry. "She has to be alright, Mom; she has to be." He had to say it. "It's not the first time she risked her life for me. I don't know … I don't know what I would do if anything happened to her." The tears fell freely now.

Agitated and worried, Sam stood up and began to pace. "It's taking too long." He wrung his hands. Lucy came over to him and took his arm. "She's going to be alright, Daddy."

"I know my Lo is brave almost to a fault, but to do something like this." He turned and stared at him. "You're Superman."

"I'm so sorry," Clark finally whispered. No more talking, just a few silent prayers from Martha, Clark, Sam and Lucy for Lois to recover.

Fifteen minutes later, Alex came out to see them. "She's in recovery. We removed the bullet; there were a few fragments that caused a bit of damage, but she's going to be alright."

Clark wiped his eyes with the back of his hand; so relieved and happy. He came over to him and shook his hand. "Thank you, Alex."

"Yes, thank you, Doctor," Lucy said. Sam and Lucy hugged each other, so happy she was going to be alright.

"When can we see her?" Clark asked.

"Immediate family first," he replied. "I'm sorry, Clark; those are the rules."

"It's alright. General Lane, Lucy, you go in; I'll wait." Clark sat back down.

Sam turned to go, but then he glanced at Lucy. She smiled at him. "You go; we'll wait." General Lane knew what his daughter needed.

"Are you sure? I mean." Clark felt they should go first.

"Go ahead; she needs to see that you are Ok." Lucy smiled at him.

Clark went to them truly grateful. He shook Sam's hand and gave Lucy a hug. "Thank you. I'll tell her that you're here Ok?"

"Sure," Sam said and watched him leave.

"Follow me, Clark," Alex said. He wiped his tears away and went to see the love of his life. She's going to be alright, he whispered to himself over and over again.

Everyone sat back down. General Lane had a question. "You found him?"

"Yes, we did." Martha replied then she began her story.

~o~o~

 _Minutes later, in recovery_ :

Clark didn't need monitors to tell him that Lois heartbeat was steady. He reached over and smoothed her hair away from her forehead, leaned down and kissed it softly. A tear slid down his cheek. He then pulled up a chair and watched her for a minute or two, content just to hold her hand.

A few minutes later, Lois awakened not knowing where she was. "Clark?"

He stood up and looked into her beautiful eyes. "I'm here."

Her eyes watered. "You're Ok?"

"Yeah, I'm Ok." He kissed her hand. "Your Dad and Lucy are outside."

Her brow wrinkled. "But I saw the bullets and …"

He squeezed her hand. "My powers are back, Lois, all of them." He watched her eyes light up like the sun.

"I'm so happy for you, Clark." She turned her head and closed her eyes to hide her feelings.

He felt something. "What's wrong? Are you in pain? Should I call the doctor?"

"Could you send my family in now?" Clark's face fell; she felt horrible.

"Alright, I'll be right back." He kissed her hand again and left her side. Clark's heart was pounding with dread. He saw something in her eyes. _We can't be apart; we can't._

With anxiety and fear swirling inside his mind, he returned to the waiting area. "General Lane, Lois is awake and asking for you."

"Ok, thank you, Clark." General Lane and Lucy went to see her.

Martha sensed something. "How is she?"

"She's tired, but she's alright," he replied.

She watched him closely. "But something is wrong. What is it?"

His eyes watered. "I think she wants to break up with me."

"Why would you think that? She just saved your life, for goodness sakes." Martha didn't believe that.

"I hope you're right." He sat down, head in his hands.

"Clark, please don't think the worse. She was medicated and maybe she wasn't thinking clearly."

"Everything has just been so crazy lately." He was thinking of the gunman. "Lucy was right; the gunman was after me and there's only one person insane enough to send someone to kill me."

"Lex Luthor?" Martha had read up on him.

"It has to be him, but I thought he was in jail." In the visitor area, the news channel was running a breaking story and it was apparently true. Lex had been released from jail a few hours ago. Bail was set for one million in cash. His trial will begin in a month.

"It has to be him. He sent someone to kill you." Martha was sure of it.

"You're right Mom, but when Lex finds out that Lois was hit instead of me, it could send up red flags. He was a professional and he missed at close range. Lex may put it together about who I am."

Another breaking story came on about Superman and Lois Lane. A video was shot of Clark jumping into the sky and rescuing Lois Lane. Unfortunately, the video was of his back, so his face was not revealed, but he was definitely flying. Superman was alive. But now speculation was running wild about Superman wearing a business suit, not his costume, walking among them as one of them. It was on every channel.

"Oh dear," Martha murmured.

"Well, I'm not worried about that Mom. It can't be a secret that I'm human and I look like everyone. I'm not worried." He said it again hoping to calm his Mom's nerves and his as well if he were honest with himself.

"I hope you're right about that. Your secret coming out would not be a good thing."

"You're right, and it won't; don't worry."

A few minutes later, two uniformed officers approached the nurses' station. One of the nurses brought them to see Lois for her statement.

~o~o~

_A little while later, still in recovery:_

After speaking with the police, Lois was definitely feeling better. She was talking and animated about getting out of the hospital. Sam was concerned about how upbeat she was acting.

"Lo, are you sure about all of this?" Sam asked confused.

"Sure about what?" Lois asked still upbeat.

"Staying at the house; I mean it's not convenient to Metropolis. It's too far for you to commute every day."

"Are you trying to get rid of me?" Lois acted upset.

"No of course not, honey, but …"

"Lo, what are you doing? Clark told us everything." Lucy told her the truth.

Lois was entirely surprised. "Everything?"

"Yes, we know who he is and why this happened to you. So please don't even try to convince us that you're happy about leaving him, because we know it isn't true." Lucy read her like a book.

Lois closed her eyes and sighed. "All of this happened because of me."

"That's crazy, Lo." Lucy paused. "He loves you."

Lois sniffed trying to hold it together. "I know he does; I love him too, but."

"There is no but. You can't throw love away; you can't." Lucy was becoming emotional.

"You're sister is right, Lo. If your Mother were here, she would say the same thing."

"I know she would, Daddy." She paused and tried to explain. "It's just; everything that has happened since we got together is because he was protecting me. Lex Luthor's obsession turned deadly because I rejected him. Lex believes that Superman wants me. He wants him dead. Don't you see, he shouldn't have to look over his shoulder and worry about who wants him dead all because he cares about me. I won't do that to him; not anymore."

"Lo, you're not making any sense. He wants to protect you. I know he does," Lucy said.

"It's what he does, Lucy, and in time, he'll accept that we … that we're friends; will always be friends." Her heart just broke; she could feel it.

Lucy shook her head. "You're fooling yourself, Lo; please don't do this."

Her eyes watered. "I'm tired and my arm hurts."

"It's not your arm that hurts. Come on, Daddy." Lucy was very upset with her sister.

Sam leaned down and kissed her forehead. "We love you sweetie, always."

After they had been gone, she couldn't hold it in any longer. Lois broke down into quiet sobbing. Lucy was right; the pain in her arm did not compare with the pain of her heart breaking severed into pieces as if it would never be whole again.

~o~o~

Out in the visitor area, Clark did not want to listen to their conversation, but he felt compelled and he regretted it. "We have to go, Mom. I was right. Lois wants us to be friends; nothing more."

"Oh, no; she said that?" Martha was so worried.

"Yes, she did; it's over." Clark was in shock. He sadly looked around, confused about where he should be. "I umm … I heard something."

"You should go," Martha said.

"I'll see you later at the apartment." He kissed her cheek and left.

General Lane and Lucy came back. "Where's Clark?" Lucy asked.

She shook her head, eyes watering. "He heard everything," Martha sadly replied.

"Oh, no," Lucy muttered and touched her Father's arm.

Sam was also worried. His daughter was way too stubborn and then he wondered where she got that trait.

~o~o~

 _High above the skies of Metropolis_ :

At this very moment, the tears on Clark's face were dry, and now there was only anger. He wasn't mad at Lois; it was Lex; he deserved to die. The feeling was so intense that he wondered if killing him would ease the pain, but it wouldn't. He wouldn't kill again; he wouldn't do that, but he could threaten him, shake him up, and lastly tell him that he knew it was him who tried to kill Clark Kent and Superman as well, but they were alive. He would testify against him in court and he would spend the rest of his life in prison.

He quietly drifted down then he heard him. Lex was on the phone and miraculously, it was the gunman he was talking to.

"What did you say?" Lex listened. He stood up suddenly upset by the man's reply. He was at the police station in custody. Lois Lane was hit, not the intended target. He had perfect aim, but he missed somehow. Lex slammed the phone down.

"Is something wrong?" Clark asked then dropped down onto the balcony and stopped just inside. He crossed his arms afraid that if he came any closer he would lose it altogether.

Lex jumped out of his skin. "Superman!" He put his hand over his heart. "You're alive?!" He blurted out.

"Oh, was I supposed to be dead?" Clark asked and narrowed his eyes then they glowed red.

He backed up and stood behind his chair. "No, no, of course not," he quickly replied. He was shocked to see him alive, and flying around just as if nothing happened.

"You should see the look on your face. You wanted me dead; I know you did. Clark Kent told me everything." He paused and said, "He's fine by the way." Lex didn't say anything.

"Nothing to say?" Clark asked and chuckled. He came closer. "Clark Kent is a friend, but of course, you wouldn't know anything about that. You have no friends; just people you order around, who cower before you afraid to stand up to you, but I'm not one of those people."

"Are you finished?" Lex was bored.

"No, but you are," Clark replied. A knock came at the door.

His assistant knocked then walked in. "Mr. Luthor, Detectives Williams and Burns are here to see you as well as two uniformed officers."

Lex fumed. "Please send them in."

"Lex Luthor, you're under arrest." A patrolman pulled out handcuffs.

"For what?"

"For the attempted murder of Clark Kent."

"What; that's crazy! I've been in my office all afternoon. This is a mistake."

"Are you resisting arrest?" Detective Williams asked.

"No, but you can't possibly have any proof!" He nearly shouted.

"I would suggest you not speak." The patrolman pulled out a slip of paper. "You have the right to remain silent; anything you say can be used against you in a court of law; you have the right to consult with a lawyer and have that lawyer present during the questioning; if you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be appointed to represent you; you can invoke your right to be silent before or during interrogation, and if you do so, the interrogation must stop. You can invoke your right to have an attorney present, and until your attorney is present, the questioning must stop."

"I know; I know," Lex said fuming inside.

The Detectives came over to Superman. "We're sorry about Ms. Lane. We have a guy in custody."

Lex felt deflated. He was doomed.

Clark nodded, happy to hear it. "Did he confess?"

"No, but he will."

Clark nodded. "Good."

Detective Burns had more to say. "We're glad you're back. We missed you."

Clark stood up straighter and uncrossed his arms. "Thank you Detectives; it's good to be back." He paused. "Well, I'll let you do your job."

"Thanks, Superman."

Clark turned and flew up into the sky. He carefully listened for any emergencies and there were a few. Crowds gathered whenever he appeared. They were happy to see him back in action and healthy. He waved to them with a heavy heart. He wondered if this is what he wanted to do with the rest of his life; rescuing people all the time, without Lois in his life and just being friends; his heart was not in it. Tears blurred his vision.

~o~o~

A little while later, he had to see her just to check up on her and so he returned to the hospital. Still in costume with flowers in his hand, stunning the nurses and staff, he approached Lois's semi-private room. Her heartbeat was definitely calling to him. She was certainly stronger, shouting at the nurses, upset with everyone within earshot.

He poked his head inside. "It's a good thing I have my powers. You're a scary lady." He held up red roses in his outstretched hand.

The flowers were lovely, but she couldn't look at him. If she did, she would break down in tears. She straightened the bedclothes instead. "I hate hospitals."

"Me too." He paused as he stared at her lovely face. "These are for you. May I come in?"

"I don't know." She glanced at her hands.

"How's your arm?" He came closer then placed the flowers on the side table.

"Better," she replied, head still down. She glanced at the flowers again. Her heart softened just a little.

Clark sensed her feelings. "Lois, please look at me."

She shook her head. "I can't."

"Of course you can." He cocked his head to the side and waited. Her head slowly came up and then the tears came again.

He immediately sat down and pulled her into his strong embrace. "Please don't cry." He stroked her hair and pulled her closer. Lois held him tighter, but she had to be strong. After a minute, she pulled away. He handed her a tissue. She blew her nose and lay back down.

He didn't say anything but helped her get settled. She watched him underneath her lashes; she spoke to him. "Always taking care of me, huh?"

Clark knew what she was getting at. "I thought my Mom was stubborn." He stroked her hair away from her forehead. "I'm going to explain something to you and you're going to listen OK."

She raised an eyebrow stubborn as always. "Do I have a choice?"

"Of course, you do; do you want me to leave?"

She bit her lip. "No, you can stay."

He grinned at her. "Now, what I'm going to say will make you rethink your decision, but it has to be said."

She frowned. "Go on."

"You know I love you more than anything else in this world, don't you." It was a statement.

Tears threatened again. She nodded but didn't reply.

"Now, it is true about rescuing you, saving you; all of that is true, but I wouldn't change a minute of it. I fell deeply in love with you, and I know you felt the same way. Now you may look back at those times and think, what if we hadn't met, but we did and because we did, we're together and we made it." He paused to gather his composure. Taking her hand in his, he kissed it softly. "I know what you're thinking. The threat is gone, Lois. Lex is back in jail and."

"Oh, no, I thought Lex was already in jail; then it was him who did this to us." She was sure of it.

"Yes, it was him. But both Lex and the gunman are behind bars."

Lois was so relieved. "Thank goodness."

"Lois, I know you're worried about us, but we can't live our lives like that worrying about an invisible threat. We can't think about an enemy who may want to hurt me by hurting you, and we have no control over that." He paused for a moment. "My Dad, Jonathan Kent, told me something a long time ago, he said, 'Clark, we can't dwell on things we can't control, but I think the trick is to just live your lives to its fullest. Make sure you spend as much time as you possibly can with the people you love.'"

"He was a wise man, but I don't want you hurt because of me."

He shook his head at her. "I don't want you hurt either, but you were hurt. Don't you see; we belong together because we protect each other and being apart; it's not going to work; not for us. We need each other. You know that; don't you?"

Her eyes watered knowing he spoke the truth. "Yes, I know." She admitted it. "But what if?"

He didn't let her finish, then he kissed her to prove his point. Lois melted; she couldn't help it. Then she raised her good arm and pulled him closer. Running her fingers through his hair, loving him beyond reason, beyond rational thought. It was heady feeling.

After a minute, he pulled away and stroked her hair. "Lois, when you leave the hospital, I want you to go back home, and reconnect with your family. I'll do the same with my Mom and then we'll talk about moving in together." She started to object, but he touched her lips.

He looked into her eyes, and then he kissed her again. After a minute, Lois slowly opened her eyes, a little dazed by his kisses.

"No more arguments, got it?" He smiled at her.

"Got it!" She smiled in return. Resistance was indeed futile.

TBC!

~o~o~

Song Inspiration: _You and I_ , John Legend.

A/N: Awww, I had to put them back together. They've been through enough. They deserved it, didn't they? *sniffs* This chapter was definitely harder to get through. I hated putting Lois's life in danger, but I believed that drastic measures needed to be taken in order for their parents to realize that their children will not be separated under any circumstances, no matter how much they fight. I hope I proved my point. It's time to wrap this baby up, don't you think? Thank you all for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. An epilogue is coming soon. Reviews/kudos is love.


	15. Epilogue: Destined to Shine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter, and its a long one. No warnings this time. Please read and please leave a comment for this final chapter or any other chapter would be cool too. Thank you! :D

[](http://s190.photobucket.com/user/babettew54/story/26485)

Updated: 8/13/14 - Click the banner for more photos!

_Chapter 15 - Epilogue: Destined to Shine_

_A week later at the Lane residence:_

Lois Lane was at a turning point in her life, either to give their relationship another chance or not. Looking at herself in the mirror, she wondered again why Clark had chosen her. He could have anyone he wanted, but he had chosen her. He loved her, and she loved him. Becoming emotional, she blinked away the tears that threatened to fall, and she shook her head and went back into the closet.

Sitting on the bed, Lucy watched her sister change her dress yet again. She shook her head and asked, "What's wrong now; I thought you liked that one?" Lucy was curious at how excited but nervous she was acting. "You act like this is your first date or something."

"Well, no, it isn't. It's our second date." Lois chuckled at that admission. Then she changed into a red dress.

Lucy was surprised. "You're kidding, right? What have you two been doing for almost three months?" Then she thought about it. "Oh, I see!" Lucy chuckled and watched her sister try not to blush.

Lois rolled her eyes to hide her embarrassment, but couldn't help but smile. She didn't need to answer her question. "Well, how do I look?"

"You look beautiful." Lucy decided to tease her just a little. "So I gather Clark is an amazing lover?" Suppressing a grin she waited for her reaction, which normally would have been a shocked expression, but she was the one shocked when Lois smiled at her.

"Indeed he is." The doorbell rang. "It's him!" She brushed her hair one final time and checked her makeup. Lois was a bundle of nerves, and she had no idea why. She hadn't seen him since leaving the hospital. They talked on the phone of course, but Clark was determined not to interfere with her recuperation. He confessed that seeing her did things to him, and he didn't trust himself when he was around her. Lois melted inside, but she understood. She felt the same way about him.

Hurrying over to the door, she opened it just a little and decided to listen. "I hope Daddy behaves himself."

"Relax Lo, Daddy won't scare him off; not this time." Lucy was sure of it.

Slowly shutting the door, she leaned against it. Sighing, she whispered, "I truly hope so." Thinking about him; Lois had made her decision. "There could never be anyone else for me except Clark."

"Truly?" Lucy was happy for her sister.

"Yeah, truly." Lois smiled truly content.

~o~o~

_Downstairs in the living room:_

Clark was nervous too. Clutching the flowers in his hand, he sat down on the sofa. General Lane also sat down in a large comfortable chair opposite him. Things were awkward for a minute then Sam had a question for him.

"So, saved anyone lately?" He couldn't believe he had asked that. Sam isn't normally tongue-tied around his daughters' male friends, but Superman was sitting in his living room waiting to take his daughter out on a date.

"Yes, I did," Clark replied and wondered what he was thinking.

"Oh, could you tell me about it?" He asked hoping to know him better.

"Well, it was a tornado in my home town. You may have heard about it," Clark replied.

"No, I hadn't heard. Where are you from again?"

"Lois didn't tell you?"

"Oh, I remember now. Your Mom told me about Smallville, Kansas, and that you were raised there."

"Yes, I was." He glanced at his watch. "Is Lois ready yet? Our reservation is at 8:00 o'clock."

They both stood up. "Before, I go get her, I have something to say." He paused for a moment. "Lois can be a bit headstrong but she's extremely loyal. She's committed to you, and I don't want her to be hurt and I don't mean physically." He gave him a look. "She and I haven't been that close since her Mom passed, but I want to remedy that, so I will put my doubts aside and trust her judgment."

"You can trust me, Sir. There's nothing I want more than to make your daughter happy."

Pleased with that answer, he said, "I'm happy to hear that. I'll go get her now."

"Thank you Sir." Clark held out his hand and Sam shook it.

Clark wasn't surprised, but he was very pleased with their talk. He walked over to the mantel. The photos were lovely. He recognized Lois, of course, in her cap and gown and Lucy too. Sam was there and also his wife, Ella. _What a beautiful family_.

He turned when he heard Lois's voice. "Clark?" He walked over to the bottom of the stairs, and she was standing there smiling at him. Staring at the vision in red, he lost his voice. He looked her up and down slowly; he loved the dress. The color was shimmering; low-cut and very flattering, and the sleeves fluttered about her upper arms and it wasn't too long or too short; just right.

"Do you like it?" Lois was worried when he hadn't said anything.

He nodded. "You're beautiful and I do love red."

She smiled still a bit nervous. "I know you do, but I wasn't sure with my coloring, but."

"It's perfect and so are you." He held out his hand.

She slowly walked down the stairs. He looked very handsome. "You look very nice; is that a new suit?"

He chuckled. "Yes, it is."

Smiling, she took his hand. "More flowers? You are spoiling me." Clark had sent her flowers almost every day this week.

"You deserve it and more." He gave her the flowers. "How's your arm?"

"It's fine. Alex was very pleased with my recovery." He was staring at her. "Well, I'll put these in water and then we can go." 

Before she left, he touched her arm. "Lois, I need this." He pulled her to him and then he kissed her; not too hard, not too soft, just right.

Lois closed her eyes and kissed him back. Touching his chest, she wondered how she could live without him. She must have been a little crazy ever to believe that she could.

After a minute, he let her go. Smiling she went into the kitchen put the flowers in a vase. Sniffing them for a moment, she got her coat and then they headed out. They decided to use her car for convenience.

~o~o~

_At the restaurant in downtown Metropolis, a little while later:_

After being seated, Lois told him about her conversation with her sister. "Lucy was surprised when I told her this was our second date."

He thought about it. "That's true, but I guess I need to do better."

"It's not that I don't enjoy eating out, but we were overdue."

"Yeah, we were." Clark noted that Lois wasn't talkative which surprised him, then they were both quiet for a bit eating their food; then Clark had to know. "Have you decided when we'll move in together?"

Lois chewed her food then she raised her eyes to his. Clark could have sworn they were twinkling. "How does tomorrow sound?"

"Perfect." They both smiled ready to begin their lives together.

After dinner, they headed down to the waterfront. "Are you warm enough?" He didn't wait for a reply but removed his coat and placed it around her shoulders.

"Thank you, Clark."

"You're welcome." Holding hands they walked the marina. It was quiet; not too many people, and the moon is huge tonight. "The moon is big; you can almost touch it," Lois commented.

"It's called a blue moon, and it's rare but it happens." He squeezed her hand. "It's a special night, isn't it?" He stopped walking. "Lois, I've been a little lost this past week. After going back to Smallville for a while, I realized that it wasn't my home anymore. Ever since we met, if I'm not with you, I'm not home. You're my home."

"Oh, Smallville, that's beautiful." She went into his arms, holding him close. "My first day being back home, I remembered thinking, this isn't my home either. You are."

He kissed the top of her head then he looked up at the moon. "You haven't called me that in a while. I've missed it." Pulling her closer, he whispered, "You know what?"

"What?"

"We've never flown together, I mean, just for fun."

She pulled away. "That's true, but what are you thinking?"

He looked up at the beautiful night sky then he touched her cheek. "Fly with me."

"Right now?!"

"Sure, why not?" He looked around. "I can change right over there." Two restaurants were close together and the alley was pretty deep. Taking her hand, they walked in that direction. Moments later, there he stood in his red and blue. "Let's go!"

She put her arms around his shoulders and held on for dear life. Closing her eyes, she didn't look down. Feeling a bit queasy by being up this high, but then once they were above the clouds, she opened her eyes.

Clark chuckled. "It has been a while." He slowed down and began to drift off toward the moon. "You know, Lois, flying with you like this is never far from my mind. We should do this more often."

Lois was still distracted. "I suppose so. Ugh, my hair!" It was all over her face.

"Here, let me," he said and helped her smooth it down, and miraculously, it didn't fly around as much when he smoothed it. "What are you thinking?"

"My stomach feels funny. I hope I don't get sick."

Clark frowned. "Let's go back down." He wondered about what she was thinking. After checking for any passerby, he landed and changed his clothes. Lois was acting strangely. "Lois, I know you too well. What's going on? Was it too soon for our date or?"

She couldn't look at him. "No, it wasn't too soon."

Still frowning; no more was said then they headed to her car. Clark decided to drive. He drove to his apartment. Lois had never seen it, and he thought this would be a good time for her to decide about furniture placement and other things. He pulled into the garage.

"Where are we?"

"My apartment; I wanted to give you a quick tour, if that's alright?" He wasn't sure what was going on with her.

"I guess that's Ok." He opened the door for her and hand in hand they entered his apartment. Lois was surprised at how big it was. The kitchen and dining areas were good size. There was no furniture in the living area, but there was a king size bed in one room and a pull-out sofa in the other bedroom; she supposed for his Mother when she came to visit. "This is nice, Clark, but why don't you have any furniture?"

"Well, this past week, I removed it. I like your furniture Lois. It's stylish and." He stopped at her look. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, I have to tell you something."

"Something's bothering you." He thought about it. "Have you changed your mind? You don't want to move in with me; do you." It was a statement.

She took his hand. "I want to be with you all the time. This past week has been torture for me too; I missed you." He pulled her close. "I love you so much."

Clark was so relieved. "I love you too."

She pulled away and looked into his eyes. "I'm sorry I was distracted this evening, but I can't stop thinking about it."

"Thinking about what?" Clark was beginning to worry.

"I'm late."

"What?"

"Yes, it's true, but I was too afraid to take the test." She shook her head. "I never thought it would happen."

He shook his head and tried to come to grips with the fact that Lois could be pregnant. "We need to do the test, the sooner, the better."

"I know." He took her hand and went into his bedroom. "Wait here; take a seat and relax. I'll be right back."

"Alright." The idea still dazed her.

Five minutes later, he returned with a pregnancy test. "Are you ready?"

She took a deep breath. He handed her the test then she went into the bathroom. Ten minutes later, she came out holding a test strip in her hand. A little sad, she raised her eyes to his face. "Oh, Clark, I'm sorry, I'm not pregnant." Her eyes watered.

"Let me see that." He read the test then watched her closely. "Are you happy or sad?"

"A little of both, I think," she answered him honestly.

He understood then he pulled her close and kissed the top of her head. "It's Ok; we have plenty of time to make babies and you know we have no problem practicing in that area."

She giggled and relaxed a bit feeling a little better. "No we don't; no problems at all."

He smiled and pulled away. Smoothing her hair away from her face, Lois closed her eyes leaned into his hand. He leaned down and kissed her passionately. She went into his arms holding him close. Still kissing her, he picked her up and took her to bed.

Once undressed, both their eyes were bright as they stared at each other. "We'll take our time tonight," he whispered and then he leaned down and kissed her forehead, her temple, her cheek, her nose and then her mouth.

Lois felt cherished and so loved as if she were the most precious of gems. The feeling flowed through her entire body making her shiver with wanting him. He was so tender and sweet that it brought tears to her eyes.

Clark moved closer and buried his face in her neck, but suddenly he felt his chest tighten, his eyes filled up with tears and then he clutched her to him tightly. He didn't think it would happen now at a time like this, but he couldn't miss the scar on her shoulder then he couldn't seem to stop it, so he had to let it out.

Lois felt his big body shuddered and then she clutched him to her tightly. She knew what was coming. Clark's eyes burned with tears and then it happened. He burst into tears. He was silent with his sobs, but she knew he was crying because she could feel the wetness of his tears on her neck.

She stroked his hair pulling him closer and murmured soothing words to him. "It's ok; it's ok."

"I almost … lost you, Lois," he managed to choke out. "I would die … if anything ever happened to you."

Lois closed her eyes at his heartfelt declaration. She rocked him as best she could. She told him she loved him over and over and that they had made it; that they would be together … always.

After a few minutes he pulled away, Lois leaned over, and she wiped his tears away with a tissue from the nightstand. Lois pulled the covers up over them and pulled him back into her arms. Clark snuggled closer to her unable to get close enough.

Content, she continued to stroke his hair and arms comforting him, but it also thrilled him too. It didn't take much to excite him. All he had to do was look into her eyes or be close to her like this. Clark closed his eyes and began to kiss her again slowly and deeply and with a purpose this time.

He began at her throat, then her ear, with little bites and licks. His tongue swirled around her ear and then down her throat.

Lois moaned and leaned to the side and to give him better access. Clark moaned loudly then. He was himself again, and she was thrilled and deliriously happy about it. The world stopped, and it was just them in their world, loving each other, taking comfort from one another, giving and receiving the strength and togetherness they so desperately needed.

He made love to her slowly and with such deliberate and precise movements that Lois was about to lose her mind with wanting him. It was beginning to feel like torture to her. She couldn't take anymore then she begged for it, "Clark, I need you."

Smiling with a devilish smile that melted her heart, he leaned up and kissed her passionately, as his hands sought her body. And as their limbs entwined, their hearts came together as one once again.

He entered her slowly at first and then he began to move in and out of her body knowing exactly how to please her. "Oh, yes," he murmured filling her to the hilt, withdrawing and then back into her again.

Lois was climbing toward that goal, kissing him and loving him too, stroking his back his neck, his shoulders, everywhere her hands could reach. They would not be still and then it happened. They both came at the same time, clutching each other close, both breathing heavily and their bodies soaked with perspiration and feeling utterly satisfied.

After their heartbeats had slowed to their normal rhythms, kisses were given freely over and again, each wondering when they could do it again.

Clark slowly began to leave her body, but Lois was not having it and so she raised his chin and kissed him, her tongue swirled inside his mouth and then she felt it. He came alive once again.

He pulled away after a few moments. Smiling, he whispered, "I love you."

"Show me … again." Her smile was blinding.

~o~o~

_Two and half years later in Metropolis:_

The city was on its way to recovery. With the help of Clark's article and his testimony, Lex Luthor had been convicted and sentenced to thirty years in prison for multiple crimes. It appeared that Metropolis' future was bright. Lex's money was used for clean up as well as charitable organizations, rebuilding community service buildings and also for the most-amazing thing that the city had ever seen: a Superman statue. Clark thought how ironic was that. A new city park was built where the world engines had begun their attack, and the statue of their beloved hero would stand tall for the entire world to see.

It was the morning of the statue's unveiling and Lois was running around the living room trying to catch their son. "Jonny, stop running please; we don't have much time." After learning to walk only a few months ago, there was just no stopping him.

"Clark, would you please catch your son?" Lois hollered at her husband who was in the den, no doubt writing a story. Lois herself had held back from returning to work. It was almost a year now, and she didn't miss it as much as she thought she would. She adored being a mother; a stay-at-home mother too.

The doorbell rang. Lois knew it was her mother-in-law. Thank goodness, Lois thought. She opened the door, and Martha came inside and immediately gave her a hug. It was hard because Lois was now five months pregnant.

"Jonny!" Lois hollered. "Grandma is here!"

"Grandma!" Jonny hollered and jumped into her arms. "Hugs."

"Hi, sweetie." She picked him up and hugged him close.

"I'm so glad you're here, Mom. Please watch him while I get dressed. Jonny's clothes are in the nursery waiting for him. Would you mind?"

"Of course not, honey. Go get dressed."

"Thanks, Mom." Lois peeked into the den, but Clark wasn't there. She went into the bedroom, and the balcony door was ajar. She shook her head. "I guess we'll meet him there." Her cellphone beeped. She picked it up, and it was a text from her husband. 'I won't be late. I promise.'

About an hour later, Clark hadn't returned, so they headed out to the park. It wasn't that far, but the crowds were enormous. She spotted Alex and his family. She waved to them; they had become friends, and Alex's wife was a dear friend. Surprisingly, Joan and Lana Lang had been best friends in school. And then, she spotted Lana and, she and her husband came toward her. Joan had kept her updated about Lana, and she knew that she had gotten married. Pete Ross married Lana about six months ago. She hardly recognized him; he had lost weight, and they looked very happy together.

"Hi, Lois!" Joan said coming over to her. Alex and the boys were right behind her. "You remember Lana and Pete don't you?"

"Of course, I remember. Congratulations on your marriage," Lois said meaning it.

"Thank you, Lois," Lana said happily believing they could be friends.

"Well, Clark is late as usual, but he'll be here before the ceremony begins," Lois said.

"I hope so; it is for him." Alex was teasing her a bit.

"He'll be here; don't worry," Lois said firmly.

"Oh, Lois, Jonny is adorable," Lana said. He has Clark's eyes, Lana thought.

"Well, he started walking a few months ago. I have no idea how we're going to handle everything else." Lois didn't need to elaborate.

"Well, I'll help you Lois," Martha said. "But you have years yet to think about that."

"God, I hope so," Lois said. Everyone smiled willing to help in any way they could.

A few minutes later, Lucy and Sam, who was out of uniform, arrived happy to show Lois their support. Lois introduced her family to Clark's friends and hers as well.

~o~o~

Meanwhile, Clark was a few blocks away headed to an appointment with a gentleman who had contacted him quite out of the blue the other day. He had to admit he was curious. He knew his name, of course.

He looked up at the tower, now called Wayne Tower, and stepped inside. He was directed by the guard to the elevator and then he went to meet with Bruce Wayne.

All Clark could think about was Lex Luthor. It was his tower now; it belonged to Bruce Wayne. He had no idea why he wanted to meet with him. His jaw clenched as memories of coming into his building, speaking with Lex, spying on him, and what he had done to him and to Lois. But Bruce Wayne was not Luthor. _God, I hope not._

He stepped off the elevator, and Mr. Wayne was there holding out his hand. "Clark Kent, I'm Bruce Wayne; please come in."

Clark looked at his hand, and instincts told him he could trust him. He didn't know why, but then he shook his hand. "I can't stay long; I have the ceremony to attend."

"Yes, I know. It won't take long."

Clark was still. "Excuse me?"

"The ceremony for the Superman statue; everyone will be there."

He relaxed a bit then followed him. "Yes, including my family." He paused. "So why am I here?"

"Please take a seat," Bruce said.

"No thanks, I'd rather stand."

"Suit yourself." Bruce sat down then got right to the point. "I know who you are, Mr. Kent."

Clark was stunned. "What did you say?"

"I know you're Superman. Lex told me." At his apparent shock, he continued, "I visited him in prison over a year ago, and he was very forthcoming about your secret."

Fuming inside, Clark didn't know what to say. "He's lying."

"I don't think he is. He told me some things about you and he seemed pretty convinced."

"He's insane; everyone knows it." Clark couldn't believe this.

"Well, I didn't believe him at first, but then I decided to give him an incentive to keep his mouth shut."

Now Clark was totally confused. "And why would you help me?"

"Because, it's better this way," Bruce replied being evasive.

Clark was still confused. "Better for whom?"

"All of us." And with that reply, a woman walked inside. She was tall, long dark hair, and she was wearing a business suit and glasses.

"Superman, meet Diana Prince as we like to call her."

She held out her hand. "It's nice to meet you."

Clark frowned then he shook her hand. He glanced at his watch. "Look, Mr. Wayne, Ms. Prince, I'm sorry to end this, whatever it is, but I have to go; the ceremony will start in exactly two minutes and my wife and son."

"Of course, we'll talk later," Bruce said.

"Sure, we'll talk later," Diana said.

Then Clark was gone.

They were both pleased with their first meeting, but it wouldn't be long before their superhero alter-egos would work together to fight for truth and justice.

~o~o~

_A little while later, Metropolis Centennial Park:_

The crowd was becoming anxious. The Mayor had made a long speech hoping to stall the crowd, but Superman was now five minutes late.

"Where is he?" Joan asked.

"Where's Superman?" Young Alex Jr. wanted to know.

"He's coming; see, there he is!" Lois pointed to the sky, and Clark dropped down, his cape flowing out behind him to greet his screaming fans holding up Superman signs and applauding his arrival even though he was late.

Television cameras from around the country and a few from overseas continued filming this historic event. Clark waved to the crowd then apologized to the Mayor for being late.

He shook his hand. "I'm just glad you made it, Superman." He turned to the crowd. "Ok, everyone, we're ready to begin." He held up his arms to quiet the crowd. "What a glorious day this is, isn't it?" The crowd was very enthusiastic as they applauded their approval for several minutes. "It's important to look back and remember those hours that paralyzed our city that day; not only the attacks but also the asteroid that almost destroyed our world, if not for this one man." He paused for a moment. "I remember when Superman first appeared in our city. Do you remember?" He paused again. "We were afraid of the things he could do, but then he proved to everyone that we could trust him and then we accepted him with open arms. Superman chose our city to call his home, to fight crime and to bring safer and better world to all of humanity. This statue is our way of saying thank you for all that you have done to protect us, to save us, and most of all to inspire us and to follow your example. Thank you, Superman." He paused for a moment as the crowd cheered and applauded. "Ladies and gentlemen I'm proud and honored to introduce Superman, our hero of Metropolis!"

The crowd immediately erupted in applause and cheers, and when Superman waved to the crowd and smiled lighting up his face. Lois and his friends and family smiled at him. Cameras flashed, and the crowd cheered even louder for Superman.

Clark tried not to stare at his wife and son, but then his eyes gravitated, and he saw her. Their gazes locked for a heart-stopping moment. Lois did not want to look away, but she managed with considerable difficulty. Martha took her hand tightly inside her own to give her support. Sam and Lucy were also close by.

Clark steeled his emotions then began his speech. "Thank you, Mayor Burns, for that warm welcome and this tremendous honor. Your acceptance of me truly humbles me." He paused for a moment and watched the crowd. "We're all alike in our own way, but we struggle every day to be the best that we can be. And what better role than anyone can aspire to than the role of hero." He paused as crowd applauded. "Before I go, I remember being a little boy thinking about growing up and being a man, I just wanted to be a good person to make a difference, but I never imagined that I would be standing here speaking to you, and having this wonderful statue dedicated in my honor, but here I am. I'm so proud to call Earth my home. Thank you all so much."

Everyone applauded his speech. The Mayor nodded; the covering fell away, and there stood Clark in glorious bronze. His cape flowed about his legs, his head held high looking up at the sky, his right arm raised and an Eagle was perched on his arm, also appearing as if it too wanted to take flight.

The crowd cheered their approval. Clark left the grandstand and came down to the statue as they all looked up at tall, handsome man in bronze. He looked up at the statue; then his eyes watered briefly. Picture after picture snapped and videos of Superman standing tall next to his beautiful statue.

"It's so tall!" That was Lois. "It's you!" Clark heard her of course.

"It certainly does look like him!" Martha said. Clark had to smile.

"It does look like him!" Lucy chimed in her thoughts; then they all laughed.

"Not bad!" That was Alex.

Lois was becoming emotional. She wiped at her eyes and smiled. It truly did look like him.

The Mayor then came forward with a portable microphone in his hand and asked Clark to read the inscription. Clark read it out loud.

"SUPERMAN – HERO OF METROPOLIS: ONE MAN CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE."

The audience loved it. Cameras flashed and then the crowd cheered once again.

"Superman!" Lois was leading the cheers. Tears of happiness brightened her eyes.

Someone tapped her shoulder. It was Jimmy.

She wiped at her eyes. "Oh, hi Jimmy; I thought I saw you over there." Lois greeted him warmly. She waved to Perry, Cat, Jenny, Ron, and Steve.

Jimmy looked around looking for Clark. "Where's CK?" He was a bit devious. Ever since that video had surfaced with Superman in the sky carrying her wearing a business suit and not his costume, the rumors at the time had gone wild about Superman having a secret identity and Jimmy would not let it go.

Lois had to think fast. It was not the first time Jimmy was curious about the whereabouts of her husband when Superman made an appearance. "Well, he had an errand. We needed diapers and a few other things."

"I see," Jimmy replied not believing it. He watched Superman for a minute. "He looks wonderful, doesn't he?"

"Yeah, he does," Lois replied a bit wistfully.

Jimmy just shook his head. Everyone in the bullpen suspected the truth, but no one talked about it. He supposed he could do the same.

~o~o~

Back at Wayne Towers, Diana and Bruce couldn't help but be impressed.

"You haven't changed your mind, have you Bruce?" Diana asked curiously when he hadn't said anything.

Bruce was thoughtful. "He is powerful; I admit that, but …"

"But what; what are you thinking?" Diana had faith in Superman and the things he could do. He saved the entire world twice.

"Everyone trusts him but in my world, trust needs to be earned."

Diana was surprised by his thinking. "You will eat those words, Bruce."

Always a pessimist, Bruce was silent as he thought about Superman, his powers and his ability to destroy the world if he wanted to. Then his thoughts unexpectedly turned to a rampaging and unstoppable Superman. Frowning at that vision, Bruce realized they had no defense against him; none at all.

~o~o~

 _Later that night at the apartment_ :

It was late and after a small celebration with Lois's family and their friends from Smallville, Jonny was asleep and so was Martha. Lois and Clark had a few minutes to talk. They were sitting on the sofa watching a replay of the ceremony.

"Happy?" He touched her stomach. They had found out the other day that Lois was carrying their first daughter.

"Yeah, very," she replied and snuggled close. "Clark, how would you feel if I decided to go back to work, I mean, after the baby is born, of course?"

"Lois, I never had any problem with you working or staying at home. It's entirely up to you."

"Well, we would need a babysitter, someone we could trust. Jonny is far too young as far as his powers coming out, so he would be alright for a few years at least."

"I agree; he'll be fine." He pulled her close under his chin. "I've missed you at the office. Every day I walk in expecting to see you, but just the thought of coming home to you and our children, it brightens my day and puts a smile on my face." He touched her stomach again.

That was nice to hear. "Well, decision made then, right?"

He couldn't be happier about her decision. "Yeah, decision made. I love you, Lois."

"I love you too." Then they kissed sweetly, truly grateful to have made it this far. Moments later, their emotions rose to the surface thrilling them both.

The end!

~o~o~

Song Inspiration: _Thank God I Found You_ , Mariah Carey ft. Joe & 98 Degrees.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this final chapter. It is open-ended, but I couldn't resist adding Diana and Bruce. If anyone is wondering, the Superman statue, as well as Wayne Tower in Metropolis, are rumors for the new movie, but it may not be true. If you would like to see Lois's red dress (and other photos), just click the banner above. I so loved writing this particular story with all the throwbacks to L&C. Thank you all for taking this journey with me. Please leave a comment for this final chapter. I would greatly appreciate it. Remember, reviews/kudos is love.


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